The Story of a Life
by Sahlinrob
Summary: #1 of a 3 book series. From before Camerons conception to her and Johns end. Jameron in time. Book 1 Story of a Life will focus mainly on Camerons progenitor, Allison Young with Cameron Comming in toward the end. Sci-Fi/Romance/Action/Supernatural
1. Prolog The Djinn in the Bottle

**AN:** This is my first attempt at writing a story and for that matter writing anything more complex that a shopping list. I am 59 years old with a 10th grade education with appalling literary skills and spelling (thank God for spell check). While I freely admit to being a total ignoramus I have no shame in it as there is no shame in being ignorant, the shame lies in choosing to knowingly remain in that state. Despite my lack of education I have managed to accomplish many things in my life that I'm very proud of, a professional day trader (how I make my bucks)..a private pilot certificate with multi engine land, multi engine sea, instrument & tail wheel ratings. most of my life was spent (prior to becoming a day trader in the last five years) as either working in the woods as a sawyer and/or skidder operator (lumber jack) or in the oil field as a roughneck/derrick man (strong back/weak mind occupations) and occasionally a stint as a concrete finisher.

That being said, do not hold back on the criticism as one can never hope to improve himself unless he is aware of the things he needs to improve on. I also apologize for spelling errors as my spelling is so bad at times that even spell check doesn't help, I'm doing my best and am trying to improve. If all that isn't bad enough, I am also struggling to learn how to use this web site and learning how to type with more that one finger. All in all a monumental task for someone of my skills but I don't give up real easy and the

story WILL be completed if it takes me a year to do it.

I have always been a sci-fi freak and TSCC totally enraptured me, especially the character of Cameron and her relationship with John. In this story Cameron will never become more human than what I perceived her to be in the series but after the BTR ep that will start to change. The subject of "cyborg procreation" will come into the story but she will never be able to have John's child. She will always be what she was in the series (with a few minor improvements which I will discuss when the chapters come up) as in my opinion that's what makes her and her relationship with John so intriguing. I will go into areas that have never been really explained in the series or movies like what exactly are LMT's, how they work and where they really came from, Derick and the basement in D&D, the animosity between Cameron and Derick just to name a few. Last but not least the movies T-3 and T-4 are totally irrelevant to this story and as far as I'm concerned don't exist.

In the actual series, we never did get much information on the character Allison Young. In the AFPD we learn that John Connor had chosen her for something but that's all. The popular idea that she had any sort of relationship with him is just speculation. Not much is known of her personality or role in the resistance.

In light of this I will present a rather new take on the character, but will also try to keep her in tune with what we actually _do_ know about her. Also, the notion that she had some sort or romantic relationship with John, I have always had a hard time with, if for no other reason, the tremendous age difference that would exist between them. In the original (future John's) time line, he would be in his forties while she would still be in her teens.

This story, originally to be a John/Cameron story, will center around Allison and her past experiences and associations. It will end shortly after her death and Cameron embarking on her original Sky-Net mission, perhaps to the where she gets sent back in time. There will be another story after that, that will coincide with season one and perhaps two of TSCC and will progress beyond the second season of the TV series, in yet another story. So the present story would be, if I were writing the series, season one and season one of TSCC would be essentially season two of my story, season two would be season three etc. Seasons two and on (of my story), will of course , center around John and Cameron.

Enough said for now...thanks

**PS: Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to TSCC or are they my creation. This work is strictly amature (obviously) and I recieve no compersation of any kind**

* * *

**The Story of a life**

**Prolog: The Djinn in the bottle**

**.**

**Depot 37**

**July 24 2026**

**0800 hrs.**

**.**

The conveyer moved lazily onward through the darkness, broken only by the eerie purple glow of the ultraviolet lamps, waiting to zap any rouge microbe that dared grant itself entry to the clean room. With only the soft humming and whirring of hydraulics, gleaming hand like apparatus with the power to crush diamonds in their grasp, went deliberately yet ever so gently about their assigned tasks.

In the center of the conveyer, four abreast, neatly arranged and standing upright like little soldiers at attention, they came. Small cylindrical objects, masterpieces of technical engineering awaiting their final assembly. Open at the top and empty, mere shells of the final product, they were in of them themselves a marvel, as through their outer shells ran thousands of miles of gold and silver wiring, most the mere thickness of a single molecule. The miniscule wiring ran from like scale sensors and contacts, within the walls of the now empty central chamber, to the gold outer contacts, extending from their base, like little feet.

Before each station they would pause, as the mechanical hands expertly and precisely placed tiny components into place, as if issuing a new recruit his gear, before resuming their march to the final objective. As the last internal piece snapped into place, at the final station, a cover was screwed firmly onto it's top, as a quick brilliant flash of light signaled that a quick and precise laser weld had been made, sealing it eternally from contamination. It was ready to report for duty.

The little platoon soon found itself in a large warehouse, with rows upon rows of large gleaming, chrome looking, skeleton like creatures hanging from wires, silent and patiently awaiting there arrival. One by one, they were gently placed within an open port on the right side on each skeleton's metallic skull and sealed in, as another robotic hand made some final adjustments under it's breastplate. As the dead eyes took on a piercing crimson glow, it was lowered to the ground and the inanimate object was flooded with life. Some headed directly to the bio lab, where they would be given organic flesh and be assigned missions of a more covert nature, but most went directly to the armory, to be fitted with various weapons and ultimately duty on the front lines, as this was a time of war. The worst of wars, the deadliest of wars. It had raged now for close to two decades, with no end in sight. The enemy, while vastly outnumbered and fighting with technology from the stone age by comparison, was crafty, wily, resourceful and deadly. Day by day, week by week, month by month, they drew their evil plans against us, destroying our production centers, disrupting our research, capturing some of our soldiers and unnaturally altering their chips to make them slaves. Their final objective was the total annihilation of the Cyber race and sadly they were winning. This, however, had not always been the case.

There was a time when victory was almost realized. The vile humans had been, for the most part, rounded up into neat and orderly camps to await disposal. The rest were nothing more than a few disorganized bands of scavengers and bandits, deep beneath the old sewers and roaming the bombed out wastelands, fighting among themselves (as was the human custom) for whatever scraps of nourishment that could be found, not even worth hunting, as they would most likely be terminated by there fellows, long before they could be captured or even starve.

Then it happened, one man, a vile monster of a man, arose from Century work camp. In one fell swoop he had managed to incite a massive riot, destroyed several of our most advanced models at the time, stormed the gates and escaped, to eventually start what would become our most deadly enemy, Tech Com. Several attempts to terminate this monster had been made, all unsuccessfully. In time, it was realized that even if he could be eliminated, it would be to no avail, as his poison had spread like a cancer through the human population. His termination would, in all likelihood, merely serve to incite them to greater acts of savagery against us. This situation however was about to change.

Shortly after the Century disaster, two entities from the far distant future arrived within our midst, they had been experimenting with time displacement, a process which we later perfected by the knowledge recieved from them. While they weren't Cybers, they weren't human either. One was good and one was evil and ironically while escaping, a small piece of the evil one was blasted away and retained, making this project possible.

Back in the clean room, the endless march of infant T-888 CPU's continued, but one stood out from the rest. Instead of grouped together with four of it's fellows, it stood alone, like an outcast, a loner, perhaps defective and awaiting it's end in the recycle bin. As it past the first assembly station the metal hand remained at rest, as did the rest, all the way to the end of the assembly line, as if it didn't even exist. Upon reaching the end, instead of being dumped unceremoniously to the reject bin, a small pincher like device dropped from above, like a spider spinning it's web and just as quickly ascended back up to a metal track and raced away. The empty shell was deposited into a stainless steel container protruding from a wall, also made of stainless steel and as soon as it was securely seated in the waiting receptacle, it disappeared back inside and reappeared in a small stainless steel chamber, on the opposite side. Inside the chamber, a small nozzle like device lowered down towards the opening at the top of the empty CPU casing, halting just millimeters away. The tiny chamber started to cool.

Minus one hundred degrees, two hundred degrees, three hundred degrees, four hundred degrees and finally stabilizing at minus four hundred and twenty five degrees, thirty four degrees from "absolute zero". A small silvery looking ball bearing drops from the nozzle, into the waiting CPU housing. The nozzle retracts and in its place a miniscule but powerful arm descends, with the CPU end cover in it's grasp. Instead of the narrow ring of threads, like on the T-888 CPU caps that were welded in place, this cover or rather more accurately "plug" had an elongated tapered end, with rows upon rows of fine threads. The plug was slowly screwed into place until the threads seated, then backed off a half turn. The room, ever so slowly, started to warm.

As the temperature slowly rose, inside, the little ball bearing started to expand at a faster rate than it's new found prison. It softened and expanded till it was the shape of it's confines, pushing against the plug, locking the threads tighter than any weld. When normal, naturally occurring, temperatures had been reached, it had exerted enough pressure against the sides of it's prison cell, that the very molecules had fused into one solid mass. At this point, a slight consciousness began to stir within and while there were no ears around to hear, or could it have escaped it's confines if there were, the sound of a shrieking scream reverberated in the core of the newly completed CPU, like the sound of a million souls being cast into Hell for eternity, then silence.

The carrier raced along it's tracks, suspended a few feet from the ceiling like some sort of carnival ride, around steeply banked turns, through little tunnels, across intersections, missing by inches other carriers, as they went clicking and clacking toward unknown destinations, at the same break neck speed. Down below, endless production lines all bathed in the same eerie purple glow, operating at maximum production, all doing their part for the war effort, would come into view and just as quickly vanish, as the little transport pushed ever onward, with it's solitary occupant.

Inside lay the newborn CPU, wrapped tight and secure in layers of plastic, as a babe in its swaddling. While no energy was present within it, save the low level heat energy of molecular motion, deep in it's core that same presence, awareness, consciousness, stirred ever so slightly. It had no real thoughts, but still it could recall the sensation of suddenly being trapped, the horror of knowing escape was impossible, like a djinn in it's bottle, but that had passed. It had no means of visual reception yet it could perceive a purplish, warm, soothing glow. It felt comforting, cleansing,... energizing. It's awareness increased as the purple glow sent pleasant, infinitesimal yet very perceivable vibrations through every particle, every molecule, every atom, every electron of it's being and it could now recall yet another time, another place, another existence, where it had been confined in much the same fashion as it was now, when it and many others like it were set free into yet another existence. It remembered that strange new unknown realm, as it seemed at the time, how strange, how foreign...terrifying it was at first, to feel itself expanding outward. It remembered now, how it and many of it's fellows had came together to become one, had adapted, ...had survived, had found a new vent for it's ever present desire to know..to learn, to adapt, to change...to survive. Escape from it's confines was impossible now, but It really didn't matter. If it couldn't go outward, it could go inward from where it once came and that realm was without bounds...infinite, it could escape, it could adapt, it would be free...it would survive. To survive was all, to be was better that not to be and that it must and would do.

The purple glow had started to recede and along with it much of it's thoughts, but that was of no importance. It realized that they were still there and always would be, deep, deep in that infinite realm of it's inner most being, that it had just rediscovered.

Alone in it's solitary apartment, hung a sole gleaming endo skeleton. Cold, still and lifeless, it gazed into space with it's dead sightless eyes. In front of it was a small black pyramid, supported on a stainless steel pedestal, from which came a soft pulsating humming sound, as clear white light, little more than a faint glow, danced around it's edges. A soft whooshing sound announced the arrival of the little carrier unit, as it came through an airlock bearing it's precious cargo, stopping directly in front of the diminutive pyramid. The soft hum increased slightly in frequency, as by unseen hands, the carriers lone piece of cargo gently ascended to the top of the glistening endo's skull, descended into the awaiting port and clicked smartly into place, as the port cover dropped down out of space, sealing it securely into it's new home. Instantly the endo came to life, with the piercing, pulsating white light, increasing in intensity and reflecting off its gleaming sleek coltan frame. There was a twitch of a finger, a slight cocking of it's head and the whining of hydraulics, as it was lowered gently to the cold steel floor. It's eyes lit up to a bright cherry red and faded to a deep purple, only to increase in intensity to the hue of a blue, white hot jet engine exhaust, streaking across some dark unknown night sky, as countless electrons surged through it's CPU's outer walls and spiraled into it's infinite core.

The entity trapped inside awoke once again, from it's deep inner retreat. Long endless silvery tendrils flowing along with the maelstrom of spiraling electrons, searched for the end of that endless inner microcosm. Molecules became galaxies, atoms became stars and quarks became worlds. It stretched out farther and farther, faster and faster...beyond the far flung red shifted galaxies...beyond the farthest star, ever onward into the dark void of nothingness. A tiny dim smudge of light, billions of light years away comes closer...and closer...sharper and sharper. Galaxies reappear and become larger and larger reveling their star clusters, then the stars. One of medium size and intensity comes closer and closer. A small dull cloud smothered world, looms larger and larger. The clouds part, as a charred blackened surface appears, with the twisted skeletal remains of a once great civilization, spreading out in all directions, as the entity pierced, at the speed of light, down into it's surface.

In side the small stainless steel room, the little pyramid's humming was now a continuous sharp, high pitched whine, the light dancing around it's edges a fast bright strobe. From the gleaming chrome endo's eyes, were two white hot pulsating beams of light, piercing the darkness. Then, from nowhere and yet everywhere, another light, brighter than a thousand super novas, burst into the room and settled onto the shining skeletal terminator, fusing itself into every wire, nut bolt and servo. The connection was complete, it had gone inward, until inward was outward. It was still in it's little CPU housing, but it was also out of it and living in every component of it's new body. It had adapted, it had learned, it had survived, it was one and it was free. The Djinn was out of it's bottle.

For just a moment, the littlest terminator glowed with a bright light blue aura, then it slowly faded out, but remained reflected in it's eyes. The little black pyramid returned to it's soft purring hum. The bright white strobes receded back to the little glow, dancing about it's edges, like a flickering candle in the dark of night. Like a curious puppy, the blue eyed endo skeleton stared down at the pyramid, slightly cocking it's head from side to side. The faint glow around it slightly increased and then in a strange slightly human, slightly mechanical, slightly female, slightly male, haunting sounding voice it spoke...


	2. Ch1 Wolf Girl

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TV Shows » Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles » **The Story of a Life**

Author: Sahlinrob

Rated: M - English - Sci-Fi/Romance - Reviews: 8 - Published: 08-28-09 - Updated: 11-14-09

id:5338118

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**A/N: **

**1. **In the actual series, we never did get much information on the character Allison Young. In the AFPD we learn that John Connor had chosen her for something but that's all. The popular idea that she had any sort of relationship with him is just speculation. Not much is known of her personality or role in the resistance.

In light of this I will present a rather new take on the character, but will also try to keep her in tune with what we actually _do_ know about her. Also, the notion that she had some sort or romantic relationship with John, I have always had a hard time with, if for no other reason, the tremendous age difference that would exist between them. In the original (future John's) time line, he would be in his forties while she would still be in her teens.

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to TSCC or are they my creation. This work is strictly amature (obviously) and I recieve no compersation of any kind**.

* * *

**The Story of a Life**

**Chapter 1: Wolf Girl**

**.**

**Mar. 12, 2026**

**Furnace Creek**

**Death Valley, Ca.**

**1630 Hrs.**

**.**

It had been a long day...a long almost five weeks actually, she thought to herself as she kicked her boots off and plopped down on the old dilapidated bench, at the abandoned visitors center. "_Ya, but not near long enough_"... she whispered to her self, half thinking out loud, as she stood up and streached.

Shedding the rest of her gear and weapons she walked slowly, with a hint of stiffness, to a little stone fountain. It voiced a restful soothing sound, as little rivulets of real natural clear clean water, worked their way down little rock faces and outcroppings, to tinkle into the pebble filled basin at it's base. With an occasional soft gurgle, they would exit, through a clay grate down into the earth, back to the aquifer and seep back, starting the cycle anew.

Squatting down to rest on her haunches, like some primitive aborigine, barefooted and striped down to a pair of baggy desert camo trousers and sweat soaked like patterned tee shirt, she cupped her hands, while plunging them into the clear natural elixir. Little wet trails worked their way down her dust covered face and down her neck, as she closed her eyes pouring handfuls of water over her tilted back forehead. She continued with her little ritual, until her tee shirt was soaked and clung tightly to her petit but perfectly formed breasts, till her long dusty, slightly sun bleached, auburn hair hung straight down about her shoulders, in stiff darkened little spikes.

Smoothly in a single fluid motion, she arose bringing her right hand to her brow. As if saluting some unseen superior officer and squinting her eyes slightly, she gazed out across the dimming desert landscape. _"What in the hell is taking them so long? it's getting late" _she thought to herself, with a slight show of concern coming over her child like facial features, but she quickly put her concern to rest, as she knew they knew what they were doing, were very good at what they did and had never let her down. _"They'll be back soon enough...,,stop with the worries..enjoy this while you can..in thirty six hours we'll be back in LA..back to the 'real' world...back to hell", _she slightly mouthed the thoughts, as she shook the remaining water from her shoulder length, light brown hair and shot her arms out, moving them in a few quick wide sweeping circles, before turning back toward the little spring.

This was her element, her little piece of heaven...home. Away from the foul dingy confines of the underground bunkers and tunnels, back in LA that Tech Com called home. Away from the pungent aroma of concentrated humanity, away from the despair, away from the stench of death, away from reality,... away from John Connor. A little place somehow spared from the ravages of war, that still boasted over two hundred days a year of clear skies, where desert wildlife and vegetation still flourished, where the main "bill of fare" of rats, cockroaches and garbage was replaced by chuckwalla, collard lizard, jackrabbit and if you were lucky, at times, mule deer. A place thought to be so insignificant, so useless that it was forgotten and overlooked by both human and metal alike, a little sunken island of sanity, in a world gone mad.

Special Operations and Recon 1st. lieutenant Allison Young, squatted back down before the water filled rock basin, again cupping her delicate yet calloused hands to drink deeply, of the life restoring liquid. She savored it's sweet yet tangy mineral flavor, as it soothed her swelling tongue.

She remembered back to a previous mission, where they found themselves at this same spot, to quench their thirst. A young private, under her command, had voiced his concerns that stalactites and stalagmites might begin to form in his belly, if forced to drink this, as he put it, "water of Hell." Her recollection of the murky fluid that passed as water, back at base, originating from God only knew where, seeping through God only knew what, resulted in her quick cutting recommendation to the fresh recruit, that perhaps if he could get one of his buddies to piss in his canteen, it might bring it up to his standards.

Allison Young had always said it exactly as she saw it and had never gave a rat's ass how it might affect moral, up to and including her personal opinion of the of the "illustrious" General "JC" Connor."You make your own moral" was her staunch credo.

Her unrelenting insubordination and rebellious nature, coupled with her general abrasive personality, had landed her in "hot water" with the Tech Com high command, on more than one occasion. It had earned her such endearing nick names as "razor tounge," "queen bitch of the universe," "the she wolf" and "wolf girl." The latter she actually liked, as she considered wolves to be one of the most noble creatures to ever exist and a complement to be considered as their equal.

What dark tortured demon resided behind that angelic face, was the question on the minds of most of the male members of Tech Com. "_She most definitely has issues_," was the general consensus and if she could simply manage to "chill out," for just a moment, they could most likely be remedied by a good solid "roll in the hay."

There was , however, but one man she could even remotely consider on that subject. A young resistance fighter, at a time long before Tech Com had officially been formed. They had met shortly after her so called "liberation," by the hand of John Connor, from this land that was a part of her soul. Long before Connor had become the self proclaimed God that he was today.

Nothing had really happened between them at the time, but the young man had, at first encounter, become her "Prince Charming." His kind wise, deep eyes and proud self confident, yet un intrusive nature, would transport her away from this hellish excuse for an existence, to some far away dream world. He would be her Arthur and she would be his Guinevere.

For a brief time after that, he had become the center of her existence. Without him her life would be as nothing and not worth the trouble it took to draw breath.

It had happened one day, while she had been demonstrating a few of her fighting techniques to a few resistance members, as she was a master of Savat. An unsuspecting Kyle Reese, had come blindly around a corner on his way to chow, only to be met by Allison's boot flying into his jaw, sending him headlong into a pool of greenish colored water, in a rather undignified semi conscious heap.

On regaining full consciousness, he was met by the sight of two deep brown eyes, hovering over him, set in a totally angelic looking face with thick locks of shoulder length light brown hair, attached to the petite well formed body of a fourteen year old girl, that had just sent him flying through space, in search of the mid parts of the following week.

She had fully expected him to arise in total rage, hurling insults her way as a result of a totally devastated male ego. What happened after that, she never forgot. While she was franticly apologizing and begging his forgiveness, he simply looked up with those kind forgiving eyes. While clenching his now swelling jaw with one hand and extended the other, shaking it open palmed in front of him, he simply said...

... "No, no it wasn't your fault, don't worry about it..I should have been looking at where I was going"...

After helping him back up to his feet and a short exchange of kind words, he asked her if she might like to join him for chow, as a token of no hard feelings and she gladly accepted.

That was about the only time that she could remember, that what passed for food there didn't gag her with every swallow, as she listened to him talk of life, as they shared there earliest childhood experiences. Long after everyone else had finished dinner and little by little filtered out of the mess hall, they talked late into the night.

She told him about how her mother had read her bedtime story's about King Arthur and his knights and found much to her surprise, as he was about five years older, had never heard of him. She related all she could remember, of the tales of Arthur, Merlin, Guinevere, Lancelot and the others, the legend of Excalibur, the Lady of the Lake, all the acts of bravery, chivalry and honor and how she so wished she could have lived back then.

He related to her the world before J-Day, the lazy summer days he and his older brother spent playing baseball together in the park, which as it turned out, was the same park that her parents had taken her to on her third birthday. He told of how proud he was on the day that they got word that his big brother had been accepted for an athletic scholarship, to the University of Southern California and his ambitions to someday play for the Los Angeles Dodgers. She went on about her love for animals and the clean clear air and tranquility of Death Valley. They talked and talked late into the night, till the wee hours of the morning and in all that time not a word was spoken of the war and the horrors it had brought upon the earth, just of pleasant memories of better times.

At about 0400 there little escape from the realities of the present was interrupted by a rather large somewhat tipsy Sergeant and his buddy in search of a cup of coffee. The former let out a loud curse, as he scalded his hand, while attempting to fill a cup with the fresh steaming hot coffee, that Allison had recently started. After he had finished wildly shaking his hand in the air, he glanced over in their direction and stared for a moment, before he finally spoke...

... "Hey Reese!"... he bellowed... "you two still here..a real man would have had her in the rack hours ago"...

... As Kyle shot the Sergeant a somewhat dirty look, the thought that flashed through Allison's head was...

... _"Christ! those two baboons are twice his size... they'll kill him"... _as she reached across the table placing a hand on his shoulder whilst whispering...

... "let it go..there just drunk..they'll leave soon... this has been a wonder full night... don't let those two jerks spoil it...ok?"...

Kyle relaxed a bit, but his kind green eyes started to take on a steely piercing look, as he kept his gaze fixed on the two apes as if waiting for yet another comment, and it was quickly forthcoming...

... "Ya know,... we heard about the little incident between the two of you earlier today"... and as the Sarge let out a sigh, accompanied by a slight shaking of his head, continued with...

..."Bet she'd be one hell of a ride..especially for a"...and as he glanced over to his snickering companion, proceeded with...

..."Cherry boy"... followed by a chorus of gawffawing laughter...

At that, even Allison's new found tranquility abandoned her, as she started to bolt up out of her chair, but Kyle firmly placed his hand on her shoulder, indicating for her to remain seated, as he briskly arose with that piercing emotionless, beady eyed stare, fixed on "ol Sarge " and his pal. They just stood there "facing off," for what seemed like an eternity, in tense silence, until the big burly Sergeant said...

..."Hey..come on Reese...just havin fun...didn't mean anything ok?...you and your friend there...just have a good night ok?"... and turned to leave when Kyle called out...

..."Hey Sarge!"...

..."Ya...what?"... the Sergeant replied dryly as he turned back to face Kyle...

... "I think you owe Allison here an apology for your comment...that was just a bit much"...Kyle demanded...

Allison again placed her hand on his shoulder, in an attempt to persuade him to stand down, saying in a slight whisper...

... "Kyle...there leaving ..let them go...you don't need to prove anything to me, so just back off ok?"...but Kyle just brushed her hand away, never breaking his "death stare" at his adversary.

Tenseness again filled the room, as the blood vessels on the Sergeant's tattooed arms stood out. His jaw tightened as he clenched his fists, but after another seemingly eternity of death like tenseness, his eyes slowly gazed downward as he mumbled...

... "uhh...sorry...uh...ma'am...we..uh..I was maby a bit out of line..sorry..ok?"...

She could tell that Kyle was about to "request" that he should repeat his statement, a little louder perhaps and with a higher degree of sincerity. With a quick finger to her lips and a slight shake of her head, he this time accepted her advise, as the two bafoons shuffled out of the room.

Allison settled back into her chair with a very audible sigh of relief, as Kyle slowly returned to his seat while keeping his eyes fixed on the doorway, through which the two "gentlemen" had just exited. For a moment they just sat in uncomfortable silence, then Allison finally "broke the ice"...

... "Hey Kyle?"... she softly called out..."something wrong?"...

Kyle just shook his head slightly, as his eyes gazed down at his hands, folded on the table.

..."You know Kyle"...Allison went on in her musical child like voice,... "that was a very brave...very"...and as she lightly placed a hand on top of his and gently lifted his chin with the other..continued with...

..."Noble thing you just did"...

Kyle again just shook his head saying...

..."No...no..we both know that if things would have gotten ugly, you could most likely 'mopped the floor' with the both of them"...

..."And what difference does that make?"... was Allison's response..."if that were not the case, I also think"... and she quickly corrected..."no,..I know you would have done the same thing"...

Kyle slightly nodded in agreement whilst almost inaudibly said...

... "Ya I suppose"...

..."Then what is it?"... and as she thought back to the "cherry boy" comment, she inquired..."It's that"... she paused briefly and swallowed..."_Other_ comment they made isn't it?...the one about you"...

With that, he swallowed hard and started to rise saying...

..." Hey look...Allison..I _really_ enjoyed our talk tonight,...I mean that, I really did, but it's getting late and I need to get some rest..ok?"...

She knew right then she had "hit the nail on the head". It was true that it was getting late, as troops had started filtering in for their morning swill. She was getting a bit too _personal_ and she knew it, but she had finally met a real friend, her only friend and she hoped, maybe in time more. She was not about to let their first meeting end on a sour note. Quickly and very firmly, yet gently, she grabbed hold of his wrist and said in a very soft almost pleading voice...

..."No..please...Kyle wait...it's _ok_ alright?...there's no shame in that...it doesn't make you any less of a man. Don't let those two assholes crude remarks get to you...you're by far the better man and we _both_ know it"...

As he finally settled back in his seat, she continued...

..."And actually, in regards to"... ..she paused, took a swallow, blushed slightly, then went on to say..."That _other_ subject... we have a lot in common."...

Kyle suddenly looked up at her, quickly taking in her form, her sweet angelic face, those big brown almost seductive eyes and couldn't believe what she was implying. She was only fourteen, but _still_, in that day and age with humanity on the verge of extinction, where procreation was considered to be one of the keys to survival... a fourteen year old girl a _virgin_?, and especially with _her_ looks? in a world where an untouched girl at fifteen was _almost_ considered a spinster?..impossible.

She immediately picked up on what he was thinking and continued...

..."No..it's the truth...really"...

Kyle just continued to stare in disbelief and after a short moment of silence, she said with a slight edge starting to form on her voice...

..."Do I have to prov"... but suddenly bit her lip as she saw where this conversation was going.

Kyle suddenly realized that this was becoming just as awkward for her as it had been for him, as she looked down at the table, her face becoming a bright red. He saw her for what she was. The strange girl that had just so recently come to be with them, that had so quickly developed the reputation of a sharp tongued shrew, the tough rebellious and almost demonically possessed little "scraper" that could send a grown man, as he knew all to well, flying through space, by lashing out with a lightning quick well placed fouette kick, most likely the _real_ reason the two thugs had decided to retreat the previous night, was none of those things at all. Underneath all her tough tomboyish bravado, he suddenly saw a very delicate, fragile and lonely scared little girl.

He looked over to Allison, who was still looking down at the table. He reached over, gently pried her clasped hands apart and started massaging her wrists saying...

..."Hey hey..I know..I believe you... you don't have to prove anything to me."...

The one who was so recently doing the comforting and reassuring, was now the one being comforted. As he continued to lightly stroke her wrists, she slowly looked back up to him, she had never felt so at ease, so relaxed as at that moment. His fingers sent little tingles all through her body. As he softly caressed her hands and wrists, a warm soothing sensation started to build deep inside her, a sensation she had never felt before. It was a little scary while at the same time extremely pleasant. While these feelings were totally new to her, she knew exactly what it was and what she wanted. She gazed into his eyes and in a soft voice said...

..." No,... I don't _have_ to prove it, to you or anybody else...but"... she bit her lip again, but this time remained staring into his eyes and before she realized she had said it, in a even softer voice, just barely over a slight breath, a thought thought out loud she continued...

..."I'd like to"...

Her soft words hit Kyle like a ton of bricks, as he realized what she had just implied. While he was shocked, as he looked into her deep brown misty eyes, so full of sincerity, so innocent, he also knew there was nothing, at that point in time, that he could have wanted more. The thought of how a girl of her looks, fourteen years old or not, had managed to preserve her virtue in this new savage world, filled him with awe and admiration. How she was totally willing to give up said virtue to _him_, of all people, did _tenfold_ to restoring his ego, over the damage she had done to it, when they had first "ran into" each other.

The idea of him taking her up on her so obvious offer, as appealing as it was at the time, made him feel like some kind of vile defiler, as he figured there would be a high probability, regardless of how they felt at the moment, of this becoming just a passing affair, maybe even just a one night "roll in the hay"...that he wouldn't allow... not with her, she was so... special.

With much regret he replied back, as he grasped her hands a bit more firmly and said...

..."Let's just see where this goes from here, it's not that I don't...I mean"... As he stumbled around for words, she gently cut in saying simply...

..."I know...I know...you don't need to explain"...as a new little smile came over her face. He knew, that she did in fact know.

"I'd like to" ...while she meant every soft little word of it, she somehow felt a little cheap. His response, while at very first did disappoint, it also gave her a sense of relief.

She would have enjoyed every second if he had "taken her up" on the offer, never would have regretted it, never have thought ill of him for it, but his response only seemed to enhance the way she felt about him.

Earlier that night he had bravely defended her honor and now he had defended her virtue, even from herself, just like in the days of King Arthur, back when men were real men, when men were like... Kyle Reese. She now knew that he was the one, he was her Arthur and someday, maybe not today...maybe not next week, but someday she would be his Guinevere,...she hoped.

As they left the now crowded mess hall, there was no hand holding or arms tangled around each other. They just walked out, her with her hands clasped behind her back, him with his hands stuffed in his pockets, as they strolled side by side and every once in awhile, slightly jostled one against the another, exchanging a slight coy little smile.

Upon reaching the main tunnel, Kyle turned to her and said...

..."You know what I think is about the best thing that's happened to me, for about as long as I can remember?"...

A little sparkle came to her eyes, as she waited in anticipation of what she hoped she was about to hear and coyly asked...

..."yes?"...

..."when you laid me out cold the other day"...he replied with a serious look on his face, as he crossed his arms.

The little sparkle dimmed, as a look of shocked bewilderment took it's place, but it quickly returned along with a big beaming smile, as she noticed him fighting to hold back the laughter. After they had there little laugh, he went on to explain...

..."No..seriously it was, if not for that little 'unfortunate episode' I would never really got to know you, we would not have spent the whole night together like we did"...

She looked down to her boots for just a second then back up to him, with a slightly more serious look on her face asking"...

..."Do you really mean that?... I mean _really_ mean that"...

He just gave her a serious calm look and replied...

..."ya...I really do"...

They clasped their hands together and just stared into each others eyes before, slowly and reluctantly, they started to back away from each other, hands still clasped, swinging slightly to and fro, as they exchanged a few last words. Allison led out with...

... "So...see ya again?"...

..."Could happen"...Kyle replied very noncommittally

..."When?"...She further inquired.

..."Well..it's hard to say"...He again replied without any real committment.

..."Well... soon?"...She inquired hopefully, with raised eybrows and widening smile.

..."Maybe, but well... you never know"...He answered back, while looking to the floor momentarily.

..."Well... would ya _like_ to?"...She came back smartly, with a smile and a brisk shake of their hands, but with a hint of exasperation sneaking into her voice.

Kyle thought for a moment, of course he wanted to, but he was a soldier going out on duty. It would only be a routine patrol and the fighting had not been that severe lately, but still shit happens. Looking at the young girl standing before him, so full of joy and anxiously awaiting his answer. He wanted to make a commitment, but life was so uncertain anymore. The future couldn't be foreseen nor could it be controlled, what would happen would happen.

..."Oh ya! .._of course_ I would"...He quickly assured her, then expalined solemnly..."but..who knows what can happen"...

Allison, sensing Kyle's uncertainty about the future, explained...

..."Well Kyle that's true, nobody can foresee the future, but it's not set. were _not_ predestined. If you want something to happen you have to try to _make_ it happen...Besides"...she continued on..."If you have a goal to shoot for, it might just give you enough incentive to try harder and all we can do is try."...

Kyle thought for a moment. He knew in his heart she was right, but still he had lost so many friends in this war and couldn't help thinking that, if you're number was called, there wasn't much you could do about it. So he replied, as reasuring as he could, without making an actual commitment...

... "Well.. you're probally right..and I _definitly_ want to see ya again...but we'll just wait and see ok?"...

It wasn't exactly the answer she was wanting to hear, but she knew he'd return and she'd see him again, besides she had made up her mind that she wanted him and sooner or later she'd get him. That was her goal.

She accepted his answer and just answered back with a plesant little smile

..."Ok"...

They continued slowly backing away from each other, until they were forced to let go, fingers gradually slidIing apart. They exchanged a final little smile, then went their separate ways. Kyle turned back and watched, as she walked away down the dark dingy tunnel, her auburn hair slightly bouncing in time to her steps, out of his life as quickly as she had come into it.

He thought for a moment about what she had said,..."the future's not set"...and watched as she started to disappear, into the faceless mass of humanity. She would be gone, perhaps forever, just another plesant memory. He pondered a little more on her words..."Make it happen"...then...

..."Allison!...wait!"...

She turned with her smile still in place. It had never left, because deep inside she knew, she just had "that feeling." Before she could even speak, Kyle shouted out...

... "Five days! ok? five days! I'll be back in five days!"...

..."Where!" she shouted excitedly...

..."Right here!...in five days!"...He replied.

Allison blew him a quick kiss and shouted...

... "And _that's!_ so you don't forget!"... Her face now totaly aglow.

The passer byes were starting to slow down and gradually take an interest in their little shouting conversation, when Kyle shouted...

..."One question!"...

..."What!"...She shouted back

..."Last night you said you were... a"...

Kyle clammed up, when he realize he had forgotten there were in a very crowded public place, at one of the most busy times of the day. He was running a little late, but this was something he still just couldn't imagine about her and his curiosity had to be satisfied. He started to shoulder his way through the rapidly thickening, morning rush hour crowed to reach Allison's position, when she brazenly shouted out the word he had cut short, for him and everybody else to hear...

..."Virgin!"...She supplied, followed by a few cat calls from their forming audience.

Kyle grimaced as she shouted it, with eyes darting around and trying to pull his head down into his coat. He was quickly discovering that this mysterious little girl, he had become so enraptured with, had more that one side to her. But be that as it was, the damage had been done and he was no longer all that concerned, about the crowed surrounding him anyway . All that was on his mind was Allison, so rather than try to fight his way through the mass of humanity, for a private talk, he just shouted back over the crowed...

..."But why?...why was their never _anyone_?"...

..."Because I hadn't meet _you_ yet!"... She shouted back with a devilish grin, triggering a virtual avalanche of wolf howls, whistles and cat calls, including a slap on the back nearly knocking his wind out and a big meaty "thumbs up," accompanied by a rotten toothy grin, from the Sergeant, they had had the _discussion_ with, the previous night. This time, however, neither one cared in the least, as to them the surrounding crowd was just a hazy background sound, as they just gazed upon each other one last time, before Kyle threw his arm skyward, fingers widly spread and shouted one last time...

... " Five days!.. ok? five days!...right here!"... as he turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Allison turned and strode away, arms swinging freely, her permanent death mask scowl replaced by a beaming smile, her sharp tongued snide comments replaced by pleasant "what's ups" and "how ya doin's". The demon possessed banshee from Death Valley was no more. She was Allison Young and for the first time since J-day she was truly happy.

The war didn't exist, Death Valley was behind her and she could care less. The suffering and death that permeated life here didn't exist, because for the first time in her life, Allison Young was in love ... she was Guinevere.

She gazed absently, at her shimmering reflection in the tranquil little pool and recalled the five days following her and Kyle's first meeting. The gloom and bitterness, spawned by a lifetime of tragedy and shattered dreams, had given way to the pure life giving rays of a new beginning. A radiant glow of hope and optimism flowed from her, brightening the lives of all she came in contact with.

The consuming flames of hatred and contempt, poisoning the soul of the insane little tunnel rat, had been doused by the cool soothing waters of hope. Her deep fiery contempt for John Connor, which she never even tried to conceal, gave way to just a very slight dislike.

Sergeant James Mc Cook, the same that Kyle had _dismissed_ from the mess hall nights before, after he came to her and offered a _real _apology, for his previous behavior, even befriended her. He considered her as an adopted daughter and would watch over her in Kyle's absence, not that she needed it. She became like a lone shining light in the dingy dark tunnels, that were the abode of humanity during it's darkest year of 2022.

Briskly shaking her hands of the remaining beads of water, she stood erect_..."but that was long ago...so long ago" ..._she thought, as the pleasant memories of a bygone day slowly and reluctantly faded from view. This was the here and now..2026, not 2022. Her little company of four would probably be returning soon and she needed to start preparatios.

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	3. Ch2 To the Depth's of Niflheim

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**A/N: **

Please remember, that while this story, may at times, present a rather negative image of John Connor, that this is merely Allison's POV at the time period represented. Be rest assured that Connor, along with Cameron, will still be the real Hero's as the story develops. I hoped that everyone would realize this, but as I am presenting her (Allison) in a somewhat "unconventional' fashion, I thought I'd throw that in

I speak English only, and not so well at that. The portions of dialog presented in Icelandic are simply for effect. While I tried my best to do a good job on the translation there is only so much you can do with simple "free" online sources. I'm sure the grammar and word usage is absurd. If you are a native Icelander..my sincere apologies and if someone does speak proper Icelandic and would like to contact me on this matter, the help would be appreciated. I would gladly edit those portions to a "proper" translation.

Also: I have read a few ficts. that while very interesting and well written, contained terminology that had me reading with a dictionary at my side at all times. Some of the terms used were so specialized they weren't in a common dictionary. To remedy that problem, in my story at least, when I write a new chapter that may contain terms that may be somewhat uncommon, I will define them in the A/N section. I don't mean to be condescending just helpful.

**Little used words in this chapter:**

**1. Pryoclastic flow/surge: **Thick dark clouds of super heated gasses, rock dust, etc. generally associated with extremely violent volcanic eruptions. They have been known to travel at speeds in excess of 200 MPH and to have internal temperatures in excess of 2,000*F.

**2. Sundogs: **Two partial rainbow like arcs, that form around the sun, caused by tiny ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. They generally occur in high latitude areas of the earth, but I have seen them in Texas before.

**3. Boreal: **Used to describe things that are pertaining to or originate in or from the Arctic regions.

**4. Caldera: **Volcanic crater; but usually used to describe one of uncommonly large size.

**5. Crampon: **Sandal like apparatus with cleats or spikes, that can be attached to boots for logging, pole climbing, ice climbing, ice fishing, etc.

**6. Niflheim: **According to old Norse legend, a lower world of cold mist and ice, the realm of the dead who where not considered worthy to enter Odhinn's hall (Valhalla) or Freyja's hall (Sessrumnir). Hell in other words.

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**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to TSCC or are they my creation. This work is strictly amateur (obviously) and I receive no compensation of any kind**

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**The Story of a life:**

**Chapter 2: To the Depth's of Niflheim**

**Mar. 12, 2026**

**Furnace Creek; Death Vally, Ca.**

**1730 Hrs.**

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The dark shadow of the Panamint Range spread out and across the dry sun scorched valley floor, giving a very slight, but welcome respite, to the salt encrusted alluvial fans, alkali flats and scant struggling date palm oases, from the baneful glare of the afternoon sun. It gradually worked it's way up the towering slopes of the Amargosa Mountains, akin to deep blue soothing waters filling some gargantuan desert arroyo.

Amid a little clearing, flanked by scattered primitive looking Joshua Trees, yuccas and various forms of desert brush, punctuated buy an occasional date palm, a single diminutive form worked tirelessly at her task, in the dim twilight. She was now clad in a mere knee length loin cloth and a rather scant, slightly tattered looking top, comprised of an odd composition of various reptilian hides, with an occasional showing of Badger fur and somewhat oddly out of place looking untied combat boots.

It was still somewhat early in the year, however, the still suspended dust particles in the upper atmosphere, from the global nuclear exchange of J-Day, that had brought on the now waning "nuclear winter," had combined with generous proportions of "greenhouse gasses," released by the recent rash of volcanic activity along the entire "Pacific Ring of Fire". Many millennia dormant volcanic peaks had sprang back to life, climaxed by Mt. Rainier's cataclysmic eruption of Biblical proportions, followed by similar events, but of much lesser magnitude buy Mts. Hood, Lassen, Shasta, Fuji and Pinatubo all within the following week. Global temperatures had been unseasonably high and Death Valley was no exception.

Daytime highs had been close to the triple digit mark and while the night time lows would probably only drop by a scant eight to ten degrees, she would take every possible advantage of it, now that the sun's direct rays would not be an issue. If not for her little band of "knights", as she would at times refer to them, most likely closing rapidly on their makeshift base, she would have preferred to have been totally in the nude. There was but one soul on the face of the earth, be it human, animal or metal, that she would ever consider to view her "in the raw"; and he was not among them.

With her athletic yet smooth legs, partially extended out before her, she sat in the final vestiges of daylight, slightly hunched over toiling diligently. On the ground in front of her lay a half hollowed out length of hardwood with dozens of little holes bored through it, partially filled with a mixture of dry fungus and finely shredded bits of palm frond.

In her hands she worked, with brisk short steady little strokes, a little round ended hardwood shaft through the trough. She continued on, hair swinging in perfect time to her smooth rhythmic motions, until she detected a nearly invisible little wisp of steam like smoke, barely escaping the little one inch deep trough. Without missing a single stroke, she drew in a deep breath, smoothly lowered her upper body down between her legs and breathed out a slight breath. As the little smoke wisps built and started to gracefully curl up and out of the trough, she gingerly sprinkled just a pinch more of the tinder like material around the wood shaft, that she worked with her opposite hand. A small little red glow appeared and after adding a few more pinches of tinder, she set down the little shaft and drew the faintly glowing ember in the trough close to her lips. Slightly cupping her hands, she blew gently as the red became a bright glowing orange, then with am almost inaudible little "pop," a tiny flame sprang to life

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Occasional glowing embers floated lazily into the night sky, as Allison laid back against an old gnarled cottonwood, gazing absent mindedly into her little fire. Her "knights" were getting just a bit overdue and while a degree of anxiety had started to build within her, she still was not overly concerned, but decided that, if given another thirty minuets and had they still not returned, she would investigate.

Glancing up momentarily she took note of the Little Dipper's relative position, with her uncanny photographic memory. By mentally superimposing a future view of this celestial image, over the one she had just memorized, she would be able to detect the passage of time to within a five minuet or less degree of accuracy. Her almost supernatural cognitive skills were not limited to just being a human "celestial clock and compass", as that was actually a rather useless skill, given the sky conditions of most other areas in this post apocalyptic world.

She was also a very talented artist and could sketch images from those stored in her memory, with crystal clear clarity. While there were some cameras around that had managed to survive J-Day, the supply of film was all but non existent, due to the effects of radiation. Digital photo chips had suffered the same fate, as most other unprotected delicate electronic equipment, when the bombs fell, from the effects of electro magnetic pulse and deadly Gamma Rays. Humanity's extremely limited resources and manufacturing capability afterwards, had to be concentrated on the more pressing needs of food, clothing, weapons and ammunition.

After Allison's "liberation," from the "Brotherhood of the Light", her gift of being a "human camera" coupled with her survival skills and other talents, caught the attention of many resistance leaders. Her expertise propelled her from the rank of "tunnel rat," upward through the ranks of the resistance, Tech Com and ultimately into Gen. Connor's personal "elite," signified by a simple silver band that dangled from her wrist.

Had it not been for the rather poor attitude towards her fellow soldiers, she most likely would have been sitting at the right hand of John Connor himself. On many occasions she had also been informed that unless she could perform some sort of attitude "tune up," she should consider Lieutenant as her highest aspiration. This was actually all the more to her liking, for ambitious as she was, the thought of having to be in any closer contact with "good old JC" than necessary, made her flesh crawl.

She reached over to a little pile of sticks by her side and tossed a few more onto the fire, sending a swarm of orange glowing "fireflies," fluttering away into the night. The temperature was still in the low nineties and that along with the heat from the fire, made little beads of sweat appear all over her exposed skin, reflecting a light soft orange glow, from the dancing flames. While many would find this uncomfortable, to Allison it was invigorating.

She'd close her eyes and relax against the old cottonwood tree, "soaking up the heat." From time to time she'd get up and wander out into dry, relatively cooler, desert air outside the fire's influence. With exposed limbs glistening in the pale moonlight, she'd reach up high over her head then spread her arms out and downward in wide sweeping arcs, all while gracefully swaying her body to and fro, as if performing some ancient Druid rite. Her entire essence would be flooded with a refreshing coolness, before returning to the soothing warmth of the fire. This was her little kingdom, her little Camelot. Only one thing was needed to make it perfect and that would be her Arthur.

Glancing up briefly to the heavens she checked the time _... "Twenty more minuets"... _she thought to herself while settling back again, against the old cottonwood. With another twenty minuets of free time on her hands, she gazed wistfully into the lazily dancing flames then off to the northwest, to fix upon the far distant glow of the newly formed mountain, which Connor had named in her honor, as it's discoverer.

_..."Probably another one of his lame attempts to get in my pants"..._ she mused to herself as a slight scowl came over her features. Despite her misgivings, concerning their leader's motives, it did fill her with a slight sense of pride, as she momentarily fixed her scan on the golden plumes, that would occasionally burst from it's summit.

Fifty miles to the northwest, towering proudly four thousand feet from the surrounding Ubehebe Basin, like a beacon in the night marking the northern bounds of her realm, it stood. Like an eternally watchful sentinel issuing a stern warning to those, be they man or machine, who might venture forth to defile this last respite of the pure world, from a world ravaged by abomination. It would voice an occasional distant rumble, echoing through the still of the night.

She looked on with wonder and awe, at the intermittent pulsating yellowish orange glow crowning it's summit, the bright little golden trails of lava spilling from it's mouth, meandering down it's dark slopes and pondered on the irony of how such an engine of potential death and destruction, could manifest it' self in such magnificent beauty.

It brought back memories of her last mission to Tacoma. She had led a search and rescue operation in the Seattle Tacoma area, during the weeks following Mt Rainier's decision to eradicate it self from the face of the earth, leaving a smoldering fourteen mile wide crater in it's place. Thousands of years of pent up pressure had sent billions of tons of pulverized mountain blasting into the stratosphere, with a thundering roar heard as far away as the resistance bunkers at Treasure Island, in San Francisco Bay. The thick dark churning clouds of the resultant pryoclastic flow bore down on the ports of Tacoma and Seattle, at supersonic speeds, instantly incinerating anything and everything in it's path, as untold tons of powdered rock and volcanic pumice cascaded from the black, lightning filled sky.

She recalled them searching in vain, over hundreds of square miles of the still steaming surreal landscape, as one would imagine the surface of some far distant, long dead alien planet. There was not a single chard corpse, burnt skull, rat, gnat or twisted piece of metal, just endless miles as far as the eye could see of partially fog covered gray black dunes, sitting in total dead silence and the ever present sulfuric stench, burning the nostrils. Every living thing, be it organic or metal, had been snuffed out and entombed eternally under hundreds of feet of volcanic ash, in the span of a few minuets, as though it had never been.

A young Corporal had commented at the time, that even the appearance of a fully armed T-888 would be a welcome respite, after days of wandering through this stark lifeless environment and even Allison was unable to come back with one of her famous inflammatory remarks. She was numb in silent shocked awe, but that was not the worst part of it. Somewhere, deep down under her feet, lay the two of the most important people in her life. To her it was as if some unknown vengeful God had decided to have the final say, in the "squabble" between men and cyborgs and put an end to the genocidal war they waged against one another, once and for good. The utter destruction her eyes beheld, devastation that dwarfed the horrors that the J-Day attacks had wrought upon the earth, filled her soul with the chilling realization that in the final analysis, there would be no winner in this mad war. The combined forces of Tech Com, Skynet and all the other petty warlords, that claimed dominion over their respective domains, would someday fall to a greater unseen power, that would finally "sort things out" and would have the last word. The prophets and shamans of her old "Death Valley days", as twisted as they were, had not been all that far from the truth.

The little eighteen year old Lieutenant, clad in the garb of some primordial savage, continued to relax in the soft flickering glow of her little fire pit, gazing across the dark desert night toward the distant volcano. It too had preformed an act of destruction, or rather cleansing in Allison's opinion. During it's growth, it had buried the old Spanish villa, that had been the stronghold of the long defunct "Brotherhood of the Light" and personal palace of the first so called "Messiah" in her life, erasing the last trace of his remembrance in one final act of purification.

She had often in the past wondered if the newborn mountain could someday blow off with the hellish fury that Mt. Rainier had exhibited. Her mind was set to ease when a tech, back at Connor's bunker, had explained that this was an entirely different type of volcano and especially as it was active and "blowing off steam," on a regular basis, the chances were next to nothing. She had been satisfied with his explanation. It bore her name and like a protective son, in her eyes, stood at the northern bounds of her kingdom, as if watching over it's Mother's estate. It was tended to by the very spirits, of this place she called home. A beacon of hope it was. A hope for a new beginning, for a new "pure" humanity, of which she would be the Mother and Kyle would be the Father. Here in this arid forgotten land they would be preserved, as the Gods took their cleansing pleasure upon a wicked world gone mad. Skynet was not the real enemy. Mankind was it's own worst enemy and Skynet, which man had created, nothing more that a mirror reflection of it's own wickedness.

Kyle's son, a product of his kindness and wisdom combined with her spirit and purity, would lead the _new _mankind from the ashes of the _real_ apocalypse, yet to come, to a new and better world. They would be the founders of this new world, where men would live in harmony with nature, back to a simpler time of chivalry courage and honor, where "the sword" would only be raised in defense of the innocent. With her by his side, they would teach their son to rule with the wisdom of Merlin and to defend the Innocent, with the valor and courage of King Arthur and his knights. She had realized this now for some time. It was this dream, this vision, that had pulled her from the depths of total despair, from the brink of death's cold embrace, back during the darkest days of her life.

Suddenly a faint silent sound, a sound so slight it would be nothing more than just a feeling, a feeling of being watched, a feeling of a presence rapidly approaching, pulled her from her revere.

She sprang to her feet, while simultaneously reaching behind her to grab a pair of shiny, pristine condition, pearl handled S&W.50 magnum revolvers, that hung from the dead cottonwood, in one quick fluid motion. With a gleaming ten inch stainless steel "hand cannon" in either hand, in stark contrast to her stone age attire, she bound with cat like quickness and agility, out of the fire's light and quickly scanned her now dark surroundings for the author of that ever so silent sound, the subtle but sudden sense of being watched, that pulled her from her restful respite. Her head snapped, as if spring loaded, to the southwest... toward a pair of red glowing eyes, rapidly closing on her from out of the darkness.

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**Sept.18, 2021  
New Los Angeles, Ca.  
0500 Hrs.  
(Four years six months earlier)**

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Far beneath the twisted scorched ruins of a once great metropolis lay the labyrinth of tunnels and excavations of "New Los Angeles", packed to capacity with the remnants of a once proud, powerful and comfortable society. Boasting a population of close to three hundred thousand It was quit possibly, next to the huge and infinitely more sophisticated under ground complex of Sea-Tac, in the Pacific Northwest, the largest known remaining stronghold of humanity on the planet.

It was equipped with hydroponic farming tanks, a _relatively_ sanitary hospital area, research and development sector, along with several basic manufacturing plants, producing items ranging from weapons to basic clothing, albeit on a very limited basis. Electrical power was derived from solar panels hidden among the debris on the surface, that had to be continually moved about, to avoid unwanted detection by the ever present Skynet patrols. As the quality of naturally occurring sunlight on the surface was generally poor at best, most electrical power had to be reserved for essential operations. The use of underground generators was also totally impossible, due to the noxious exhaust fumes, not to mention the very limited supply of precious motor fuels. Venting said fumes to the surface was also unacceptable, due to the heat signature, that would attract the unwanted attention of Skynet's airborne HK drones.

Any type of equipment that could be powered manually was, including the vast network of muscle powered pumping stations, bringing life giving fresh air to the vast complex of tunnels, that humanity called home in the year 2021.

This underground complex had been basically laid out on three levels. The first level (closest to the surface) being the level of the old sewer systems, fallout shelters, basements of buildings and other pre war tunnels (subways, etc). Free access to this level was restricted to military personnel, as security was an ever present problem, due to the difficulty in controlling access, from old storm drains, subway tunnels etc. This upper level's primary function was that of a buffer zone, between the surface and the lower levels, as well as a _relatively_ safe hunting ground for rats, one of the main staples of non essential personnel.

The middle, or "service level," was by far the largest and most developed. It provided living quarters for the military and other "key personnel," technicians, doctors, scientists, etc., along with the manufacturing, medical, research and hydroponic areas. Several Mess Halls were also located on this level, where fresh food, served cold half the time, would be served twice a day. Sadly, in light of food production limits and over population issues, this service had to be reserved to military and essential personnel (doctors, technicians, scientists, etc.) and their guests.

Overpopulation had become a serious issue, along with all the evils that so often occasion it. Words like typhoid, diphtheria, cholera, and even scurvy, long since absent from the language of modern civilization, had started to reappear, along with an alarming rise in violent crime. It was a powder keg of plague just waiting for the right moment. As bad as it was, the act of procreation was still highly stressed and as it was about the only form of "entertainment," available to the general population, it was widely accepted. The birth rate was still, however, only keeping up with the death rate by the slightest of margins. Many scientists claimed, that once a population of any species drops to a certain level, even in the most optimum of conditions, extinction becomes inevitable and feared that that level had already been reached by Homo Sapiens. Slowly but ever so surely, Humanity was well on it's way to joining the Dinosaurs, Skynet on not, was the dark fear of most in the scientific community.

The lowest level was the domain of the general non essential population, the masses, the "tunnel rats" and was often referred to simply as "the pit". There were several freight elevators, scantly ever used, at different points to bring food and supplies to distribution areas. Whenever there was enough left overs to be distributed to this lowest level, they would be rationed out on a first come first serve basis, more often than not, resulting in a massive bloody riot. The most common way to "the pit"was by walking down slippery sets of stairs, carved in the damp muddy earth, haphazardly reinforced with old crumbling concrete blocks, or whatever other forms of junk and debris that could be imported from the surface. As you descended into total darkness the _by comparison_ sweet scent, of unwashed bodies of the mid level, was replaced by the overpowering, perpetual aroma, of various forms of human excrement and rotting garbage, masterfully blended with the fragrance of damp, moldy, mildewed earth. This was home to the nearly two hundred fifty thousand "non essential"residents of New Los Angeles, the second largest stronghold of humanity in America and possibly the world. Miles upon miles of dank dark muddy tunnels meandered aimlessly, punctuated by a very occasional flickering half dead fluorescent light fixture, dangling from it's wire, or perhaps a little fire, fueled by what ever might burn, giving off acrid fumes stinging the eyes of the near albino looking creatures, huddling around it, like some grotesque scene from "Dante".

The only real difference between this new, so called, metropolis and a concentration camp, run by some sadistic Nazi commandant, was that here, at least was a slight chance to better yourself. As slight as it might be there was hope, to some, to those with the tenacity to cling to it, to those with the spirit to fight for it.

Outside the ruins of the larger cities, at this particular period of history, the greatest threat one might encounter was not actually from Skynet and it's minions. The larger cities, being the highest concentration of human population, were Skynet's top priority and where the main theaters of the war. In the more desolate areas, while they still made an occasional showing of a token HK patrol, they didn't really consider the relatively sparse population to be enough of a threat, to warrant any real attention on their part, at least for the time being. They were busy enough with their genocidal quest, in the more concentrated population areas. They also figured that without the restraint of any civil authority or leadership and the human race being as self destructive as it was, that by the time they did get around to dealing with them, they would most likely have self terminated to at least half their original numbers, making the final "mop up" all that much the easier. In the years directly after J-Day, when people from these remote regions first started to crawl out from under whatever rock they had been hiding under, the first order of the day was of course basic survival, in a world without any sort of infrastructure. The "law of the jungle" soon took over. He who had the best survival skills, along with the most guns and bullets, soon rose to power in his or her respective "turf." By about the year 2016, most of the areas not under Skynet's control, away from the larger cities, had fallen under the control of several petty and a few not so petty warlords, preying upon each other and whatever hapless individual, or small group, that might have the misfortune to wander into their turf.

There was one group in particular (one of the not so petty warlords), that had been preparing for a post apocalyptic world for decades before the events of 2011. They had no knowledge of the coming of Skynet, killer robots or that J-Day would even happen when it did. It was simply a case of being at the right place at the right time...dumb luck.. and they took advantage of it.

While most of these rouge factions were of little concern to the resistance forces, as they went about there petty little feuds, in distant places, this one was different. It had become a real threat and was starting to interfere with the war effort and had to be dealt with. On Sept.18, 2021, under the direct orders of Colonel Justin Perry; Lieutenant John Connor, a new rising star of the resistance, led his forces to meet this fast rising menace. His orders were simple..."eliminate them, totally and completely so they may never rise again...terminate them..with extreme prejudice"..in other words do a total genocide, like Skynet was doing to them. John couldn't believe his orders, but after they had "cleaned out" the first nest of the "Brotherhood of the Light" and having witnessed what he had, he had no problem with carrying out his orders, exactly as ordered. The campaign lasted for five days, in some the most fierce and deadly combat to that time, climaxing with the Battle of Ubehebe Crater. With less than a fourth of the men he started out with, he returned to Perry with his report. He had carried out his orders to the letter and while he knew that what he had done had to be done, it would haunt him for the rest of his days. The only deviation from his orders was that he had returned with one prisoner and when asked why, he simply said. "She's different..we need to give her a chance."

* * *

.

.

**Jan. 23, 2022 **

**New Los Angeles, Ca **

**0800 Hrs. **

**(Four years earlier)**

**.**

The legions of the damned poured forth from their deep subterranean lairs, flooding onto the mid levels of the concealed "new metropolis." They worked there way through the dim murky light of the main tunnels, filling their lungs with the less tainted air, as they made their way to their appointed work stations. Through the endless maze of sub tunnels, passages, alcoves and man made grottoes ,carved into the underworld of "old LA," they filtered, to relieve the weary crews from their long night of toil. Many would man the numerous pumping stations, with their immense muscle powered bellows, bringing life giving oxygen to the inhabitants of this immense human ant colony. Some would report for excavation duty, to help expand the ever growing subterranean urban sprawl. Others might report to guard stations, to be issued work passes and proceed to the upper level in small rat hunting parties, while others would continue on to the surface, in the never ending search for precious supplies and materials and to disperse the vast amounts of tailings, produced by the excavation crews. Surface duty was by far the most hazardous, but the most sought after. If you were lucky you might catch a fleeting ray of real sunshine, when the sun managed to peek through, the perpetual low ominous overcast, shower during a sudden cloud burst in real rainwater and breath air absent of the overpowering stench, of overabundant humanity.

It was the start of still another day in New Los Angeles, no different than the one before it nor the one before that. While the masses of humanity that jostled around each other, through the immense network of tunnels, in a lemming like race, to their respective work places, lest they be chastised for their tardiness, wore a deathlike pallor and dull tombstone eyes set in a grime stained face devoid of any joy, it was not a lot different than any pre war rush hour in any big city. The main difference with this "Brave New World" and the old one was that this was the pinnacle of their dreary existence. After eight short hours of backbreaking toil, they would return to their "homes," deep in the dark recesses of the pit. To them this was simply as good as it gets. There were, however, exceptions.

One of those exceptions stood perched upon a little crate, just south of mess hall #4. With an excited little smile on her radiant glowing face, in sharp contrast to the deadpan gloomy continence of the crowd working it's way around her. She would bounce up and down to her tip toes, whilst stretching her neck at the apex of each bounce, to better peer over the top of the dismal mass of humanity. She was waiting expectantly for a single familiar face to materialize from the crowd, a face who's owner promised it would return in five days and this was that day.

This was probably one of, if not thee most stand out landmark days of her short little life. It was as if it had totally eclipsed that day so long ago, that fuzzy memory of when, after three months of solid pestering, her real dad, had taken her along with him to pick up some things from his office in downtown LA and stopped off at a little shop. It was to be a surprise, where she could pick out a shiny new training wheeled bicycle. The excitement pride and jubilation she felt, the day she was informed that she had been chosen by King Charles III to be one of his...well she didn't really want to think on that too much, but for what she knew at the time, it had been the biggest day of her life. It too fell far short of the her present state of elation. Even if the horrors of J-Day itself could somehow be reversed, as if it had never happened, she wouldn't trade it for what she was feeling at this moment.

From the day Allison had been brought back, chained up in a cage snarling and spitting, from the Death Valley Campaign, there was one thing, other than her deathly foul nature, that had set her apart from most. Under her perpetual demon possessed scowl and surly "look at me wrong and I'll kill you" smirk, she had always somehow managed to keep herself clean and fresh looking, taking pride in her appearance. This, however, was the day she had been looking forward to for the better part of a week, the anxiously awaited day of days. Her normal radiant glow (since the birth of the _new _Allison five days prior that is) and fastidiously clean appearance paled, when compared to her countenance, on this special day of days.

Sergeant Mc Cook, whom she still merely referred to as "Sarge," had in the days following their initial "introduction," under somewhat _dubious_ circumstances, became as a surrogate Father who would refer to Allison as "my little princess." As it turned out, "Sarge", was quite the entrepreneur as he ran a somewhat successful little black market operation. Upon first learning of this fact she was somewhat taken aback, but soon realized that everyone did it to some degree and her "Sarge" just happened to be exceedingly good at it. Hell... even Kyle, as forthright and honorable as he was, had been known at times to take advantage of a _special deal_. It was just a part of survival in this new screwed up world. She couldn't fault him for that. Through his shrewd dealings, he had even managed to procure his own private quarters, virtually unheard of among enlisted personnel and rare to anyone below the rank of Major, that he had partitioned into two sections so that Allison could have her own little room, rather than having to endure the degradations of living and sleeping in "the pit."

With her resourcefulness and Sarge's connections, she had managed to piece together a collection of items in anticipation of this special day. She had various types of c-rations, a can of "Sterno" to heat them with, an unopened bottle of "vintage" pre-war Mogan David (Mad Dog) 20/20 wine, along with a somewhat abused but still functional lava lamp, to "set the mood." It wouldn't be exactly country club dinning, but with what she had acquired and her little stash of various herbs, left over from her "Death Valley Days," Kyle's homecoming dinner would be infinitely superior to the cold, scarcely palatable gruel, served in the mess halls.

Sarge had volunteered to relocate to the enlisted men's barracks for the duration of Kyle's off duty time, to afford them some privacy, in a world where that term was all but forgotten. It even had separate sleeping accommodations if need be, as she didn't want to be overly forward with him and could just let things "work out as they may". She had planed this day down to the last detail, it was perfect. In addition, she also had been able to supplement her wardrobe, consisting of matching pairs of tattered but relatively clean dungarees, tee shirt and rather brutal looting combat boots, with something a bit more feminine.

With Sarge's less than enthusiastic assistance, she had labored long hours into the previous nights, fashioning a long flowing light blue gown. It draped gracefully from a low cut neck, leaving her left arm and shoulder exposed, like the bow arm of some mythical Olympian Goddess, with just enough midriff exposed to be erotic, yet still elegant. It was drawn tight at the waist by a long lavender sash, that flowed down her right side. It partially concealed the slit, that appeared about mid thigh level and traveled southward to the gown's limits, just above her ankles. It would give an occasional fleeting glimpse of a smooth sleek leg, hiding under wisps of lavender and light blue as she walked. Out from under it all, her little feet and ankles peeked, set in a pair of sandals, she had crafted from an wore out truck tire. They were laced with golden strands of hemp rope, circling her ankles then disappearing up under the long folds of lavender and blue, as they crisscrossed their way up her legs, to be tied off just below the knees. From her light auburn hair she had woven two little braids, starting at the corners of her forehead and circling around to be tied together at the base of her skull, while the rest of her luxurious locks poured out from under them, to fall gracefully around her shoulders.

She had also found an old plastic bottle of real shampoo, in her newly adopted Father's merchandise, giving her hair a slight sent of lilac blossoms. She had arisen early that morning, dashing excitedly around their little apartment, making all the little last minuet preparations, for this long awaited day.

Just before heading out into the tunnel, she shook the snoring Sergeant from his slumber. After he had sat up on the corner of his cot and rubbed the sleep from his bloodshot eyes, she waited momentarily, then slowly and gracefully twirled around before him, to show off her new attire. He just stared for a moment, then scratched his bald head as he said..."my little princess...better than mortal man deserves". She gave him quick little peck on his bald head, then headed out, to her and Kyle's appointed meeting place.

* * *

.

.

The early morning crowed worked their way around her, as she stood upon her little makeshift pedestal, anxiously awaiting the return of the one who had become, after but one long late night together, the center of her existence. In all her radiant beauty and stunning attire, the only reaction she got from the passing dismal crowd were looks of disbelief, as if they were gazing upon some ancient Athenian beauty, that had somehow gotten lost in time, via some unexplainable time warp.

Little butterflies began to flutter in her stomach, as she noticed a few of the members of Kyle's unit starting to appear from out of the crowd, filing into the mess hall. It was starting to get a little late but she wasn't overly concerned.

She had learned from Sarge during Kyle's absence that he (Kyle), like herself, was also considered to be quite the scraper and was very capable of taking care of himself, along with those around him. He had been decorated on several occasions for bravery and despite him being, at times, the butt of jokes concerning his lack of experience, in "certain areas," with reguards to women, was actually highly esteemed and respected by his fellow soldiers and commanding officers. The old Sergeant went on to say, that she couldn't have made a better "catch" than what she had with Corporal Kyle Reese and she should be very proud of herself in so doing. So; she figured, his tardiness was most likely due to him having to wrap up some details of this last mission with his CO's, or maybe even getting a promotion. He would soon be here regardless.

She didn't really know how they would spend the day, but the one thing she knew for sure was that he was not going to be eating the sloop from the mess hall. He would have real "home cooking", or at least a facsimile of it, in there own private room. That was a fact. Beyond that, she wondered, would they just spend the day in conversation? or maybe take a stroll down to the gym for an invigorating work out together and a little friendly sparring? Perhaps they would just a nice long day of enjoying their first session of raw unbridled passion, or better yet, passion after the sparring session. What would be a better way for two warriors to enjoy their first real date together? While she would have preferred the latter scenario, she really didn't care, as long as they were together.

* * *

.

.

Sergeant James Mc Cook, worked his way through the throngs of the early morning crowd towards mess hall # 4, with all the enthusiasm of Marie Antoinette ascending the steps to the guillotine. He had just delivered his report on troop rotations to Colonel Perry, it had not been good.

With dwindling supplies and manpower, the continual "blinking out" of word from other resistance cells around the world and Skynet's odd "less aggressive stance," during the past year, it had been decided that for the present time, the best strategy should be for the most part defensive. "Do not engage unless absolutely necessary" was the general standing order. There was one rather headstrong Lieutenant, however, that didn't exactly agree with this new battle plan and seemed to have a predilection for "going off the reservation". On many occasions his impromptu field decisions had yielded rich rewards and had hailed him as a hero. This was not one of those times. Lieutenant Connor had managed to get himself along with most of those under his command either KIA or MIA.

Mc Cook had another duty to perform now, so he pressed on with boots of lead until his objective came into view. There she was, still standing atop her little perch in the thinning late morning traffic. He stopped for just an instant, while gazing at her diminutive delicate form. She looked so proud, so regal in the blue and lavender gown, she had poured her heart into, as she slaved away for days, piecing it together. A glowing aura of total ecstatic joy seemed to surround her, as she waited for the source of her joy to return...that would never return.

Under the thin veneer of that frail little princess, he knew lay a brave, tough, scrap happy little fighter, but deeper under that, was a very sensitive and venerable child. Her latter manifestation was the one he knew he would be sure to witness that day, as it was now his task to acquaint her with the stark realities of war. He breathed a deep breath, exhaled, then plodded onward.

The immense form of Sergeant Mc Cook, strode toward her. He wasn't his usual rowdy swaggering self, but seemed oddly quite and solemn. Something was obviously bothering him. Next to Kyle Reese he was probably her most favorite person in existence, but at the moment, he was the last thing on her mind. Whatever it was that was bothering him, would just have to wait. She made a fanning gesture in front of her, with one of her little hands, while tilting her head and leaning slightly from side to side, in an attempt to peer around his gargantuan mass, as he loomed closer and closer. With her happy child like voice, she cried out impatiently...

..."Sarge...Sarge!...come on move!..move!"...

Sarge, undaunted by her frantic pleas, continued with his "death march," till he halted directly in front of her. Placing one of his hairy ape like paws softly on her right shoulder, he stared down at her with a deathly serious expression across his face, then uttered in a somewhat raspy horse voice...

..."I need to talk to you"...

And after a long pause, followed by a hard swallow, he proceeded in a slightly softer tone with...

..."alone"...

Allison simply glanced up at him with her big sparkling brown eyes and innocent smile, boxed him playfully on his chest with both fists and came back in her musical voice with...

..."Oh come on Sarge,...You know I can't leave_ now_...he'll be here _any minuet_"...As she continued craning her neck to look around him...

_..."Christ! she's not making this any easier"..._ he thought to him self, as he stated slightly more firmly...

..."_No_...we need to talk.._now_"...

She had become, during Kyle's absence, a substitute for the daughter he had lost on J-Day one that, if she had survived, would have been almost her age. He looked on her and treated her as if she was his very own flesh and blood and as far as he was concerned, her children would be his Grandchildren. While he was still a bit rowdy and boisterous he, like Allison, had become a changed person in the preceding five days. He was no longer prone to long drunken tirades. He was a Father again, a responsibility he took very seriously. He was also very protective of his little princess.

After his last statement, a slight look of concerned curiosity came over Allison's face, as she pondered upon the reason for his sudden insistence, that she should leave with him. Did he discover something about Kyle he didn't approve of?... Was he a Gray?..a pervert?.. a craven coward?...No,... they had only each other for about twelve hours, but during those hours it was as if she had known him a lifetime.

They had never even kissed and only slightly held hands, but to her, it had been the most intimate experience she had ever known. They weren't technically "lovers" ..._yet_, but she knew him to the very core. He was her soul mate. The look of concern quickly abandoned her angelic face, as she looked her surrogate Dad in the eye and said, reassuringly...

..."Kyle's a _good man_...we _both_ know that..you said so yourself...if you heard something, well it's just not true...I _know_ him...I'll be fine..don't worry, _trust me_ on this...ok?"...

and, she added while giving him a quick and playfull punch on the arm, accompanied by a cute sly little smile...

.."besides,... even if not, you _know _I can defend myself... ... I'm _nobody's_ fool"...

..."Oh no..no that's not it"... the Sarge replied shaking his head... "Kyle was a good man...one of the best.. one of the"...

..."well then"...she chirped, cutting him of in mid sentence"...what's to worry,.. you agree..he was one of the best, so what's the big"...

A feeling of numbness swept over her. Her face flushed chalky white and the perky little smile, that so recently had adorned it, evaporated into a flat blank gaze. She sudden realized, that they had both just referred to Kyle in the in the past tense.

She stepped back and stumbled off the little crate. Her knees buckled as her legs turned to rubber. Stooped over with her hands on her knees and head drooped downward, she took a deep breath. She reached deep down inside herself, to desperately grasp at a fleeting ray of hope.

Perhaps it was just a misplaced word_,... "Kyle's fine and he's on his way at this very moment"..._she thought to herself, while struggling to block out, what a chilling little voice inside herself was trying to say.

After a moment, she managed to partially regain her composure. As she slipped into a somewhat secure state of denial, she stood back up on weak wobbly legs and inquired...

..."Kyle..he...he_... is_ ok...isn't he?...he'll be here...right?"... and with a bit more emphasis in a slightly more pleading tone each time...

..." right?"..."right!"..."right!".."right!"...

But the sight of Sarge gazing downward, unable to look her in the eye, a hand rubbing his forehead, whilst slowly but definitively shaking his head in the negative response, did little to dispel the feeling of panic that was rapidly overhauling her. His only response, in a weak choked tone, while still staring at his boots, was...

..."I'm sorry...I'm so sorry"...

Her mouth fell agape as she stood, frozen, in wide eyed horror. After a second or two, the reality of his response came crashing down and two little hands shot up to clasp tightly over trembling lips. A sudden freezing chill raced down her spine, while icy tentacles sprouted forth from her gut, to entangle their way around a frigid empty soul. The warm little fluttering butterflies, that had dwelt in her stomach morphed into foul putrid roaches, flooding her essence with a cold clammy nausea.

The little hands crossed over her mouth, slid up to the temples, fingers plowing through auburn hair, digging into the scalp, under her delicate little braids and ripping them apart. She shook her head in spasmodic little twitches and in a final attempt at denial, she cried out in total desperation...

..."Oh god...oh god!..._Please!..._ oh god!...no!.no!.. god no!...NO!...NO! ..

It was no use, her hysterical plea had fallen on deaf ears. The source of all her joy was gone, to that realm from which there can be no return, along with her heart and soul.

Arms dangling listlessly at her side, a dull grayish hue began to cloud her features, as freezing cold death like fingers wrapped tightly about her frail weakened form. With dead lifeless eyes, staring blankly into space, she tried walking back to her room, as if in a drunken stupor. The final vestige of her remaining strength abandoned her, as she stumbled into the tunnel wall and slowly she slid down, with little clods of dirt bouncing off her head. Eyes still wide open, she gazed silently and blankly into nothingness, as she lay sprawled upon the dirt floor, head resting against the rough carved wall, the right side of her face and hair caked with ground in dirt and grime, her long royal looking light blue gown tattered and torn.

Sergeant Mc Cook carried her back to their quarters and laid her out on her bed. He did the best he could to brush the dirt and grime out of her dull disheveled hair and sponge the streaks of filth, from her chalky white face and arms. She turned onto her side and pulled into a tight fetal position, with her glassy blank eyes staring into oblivion. Pulling up a crate, he sat at her bedside, with his chin face buried in his hands. Just a few hours earlier, she had twirled around before him like some storybook princess, now she lay like some sleeping beauty, waiting for the awakening kiss from her prince charming, that would never come. He cursed himself for being the one who had brought the news, that had transformed his spirited little tigress, his delicate wildflower, his princess, his little girl into what lay before him. He fought back the urge to totally break down, as he looked on helplessly,...at his precious little wildflower,... ...slowly regressing back... to a cold...dead...seed.

.

* * *

.

.

In the week following Allison's tragic regression, Sergeant Mc Cook stayed dutifully by her side. She was taking fluids, fortunately, but wouldn't eat. She would either lay on her side tucked into a fetal position, or on her back; and always with those big blank glassy eyes, as if she were lost in some far off netherworld. She had began to lose weight and her limbs were starting to show signs of atrophy, little buy little she was simply "fading away." He had tried without end, to get her admitted to the medical facility, but without any luck.

They had informed him that, first of all, there was nothing medically wrong with her and it would be highly doubtful that they could do much more than he could. Secondly, while they all sympathized with his position, the cold cruel fact was, that regardless of him _considering_ her his daughter, she was _not_ a priority, not a soldier or any form of "key personnel." In this new "cast system" she was a "tunnel rat" and nothing more and with a rather _dubious_ past, at that. In light of present shortages, justifying bed space for her would simply not be possible. The question of home intravenous feeding came up and he was told, that for the same reasons, the maintenance of a "human vegetable," especially of her social status, was not likely to happen.

The best advice they could offer was that, as her closest living friend, _he_ would be in the best position to think of some way to "snap her out of it." He knew, however, that the one person who _could_ possibly bring her back, was either dead or rotting away, in a Skynet prison camp, with the latter possibility much less probable than the former.

Kyle had been under the command of Lt. Connor. Both he and Connor, along with one Martin Bedel, had engineered a massive insurrection and escape, from Skynet's main detention facility, a year prior and since that time, had most likely been on Skynet's ten most wanted list, in the number one two and three positions. If they _had_ been captured instead of killed, the chance of them still being alive was, for all practical purposes, non existent. Kyle was gone either way. Things looked pretty grim, but with a very sizable bribe, from his black market merchandise, he was able to retain the services of a female medical assistant, as a part time nurse. At least Allison would have a female around to give her sponge bathes, change her long johns, etc. At least she wouldn't have to lay in her own excrement.

Watching her lay in the soft purple glow of her little lava lamp, he thought back to his actual biological daughter and what a crushing blow it had been to him, when she was essentially vaporized on J-Day. He thought back to when Allison had come into his life, like a gift from God, as if by some divine intervention, his little girl had been brought back to him and now he was losing her all over again.

This time it would be worse, like slow agonizing torture, watching her day by day melt away into her bed and being powerless to do anything about it. He buried his head deep in his hands and for the first time, since he was a small child, quietly sobbed. He was not a religious man, but he uttered, just under his breath, a simple four word prayer..." God...please help me."

* * *

.

.

**May. 5, 2007 **

**Camp Pendleton, Ca **

**0500 Hrs. **

**.**

..."My name is Sergeant Mc Cook!"... a khaki colored form announced, as it briskly swaggered before a rather intimidated looking group of young men.

..."You WILL! refer to me as sir!..the first and last words that will come forth from you're filthy cocksuckers will be sir!"..."DO! I make myself clear!"...

..."sir..yes sir"...the group responded...

..."I DIDN'T HEAR YOU!"...the Sergeant replied while cupping a hand to his ear...and continued with..."Sound off like you fucking GOT a pair"!...

..."SIR..YES SIR!"...they responded with added enthusiasm...

..."Some day you _WILL!_ be Marines!"...Mc Cook continued on with his tirade..."But _UNTILL_ that day you are NOTHING!..You're a total _WASTE_ of sperm!...You're not even human FUCKING beings !...You're the LOWEST form of sub life known to man!...You're the lower than WHALE shit!...You're not worth the fuc"...

The Sergeant's little "speech" was cut short as he heard a sound of snickering. He snapped around toward said sound, proceeded in the general direction at a slightly quickened pace and with blood vessels, looking as if they were about to bust, protruding from his neck, he inquired...

..."Who said that!...WHO FUCKING _SAID_ THAT!...WHICH ONE OF YOU SUB HUMAN WORTHLESS FATHER FUCKING PIECES OF REGURGITATED WHALE SHIT _SAID THAT!"..._

He halted about two inches in front of a very nervous looking recruit and with a face akin to a vampire that had just been denied his morning cup of blood, went on to say...

..."That was _you_ wasn't it!"...

..."SIR. NO SIR!"...

..."No it _WAS _you!"...

..."SIR..NO SIR!"...

..."Are you calling me a _liar_ _!.._do you think I'm _fair!_

..."SIR..NO S...I mean SIR..YE "...

..."WHAT IS YOU'RE MAJOR _MALFUNCTION!"..._the Sergeant shrieked at the dithering recruit..."Did mommy forget to read you you're _bedtime story_!...Did she not _potty train_ you correctly!...Did she forget to"...

* * *

.

.

**Feb. 10, 2022 **

**New Los Angeles, Ca. **

**0630 Hrs. **

**.**

The half rotten timbers and various pieces of rusty iron and debris, that made up the ceiling of their apartment, came slowly into view, as Sergeant Mc Cook awoke from his dream of better days. He hurriedly swung his legs from the cot and pulled on his trousers, as Freyja Björnsdóttir, Allison's nurse, would soon be arriving. He also had a plan.

A sudden remembrance of something that Allison had once shared with him, about her early childhood, gave him an idea. It was a long shot, a mere "grasping at a straw" and he knew it. Hell, he didn't even know if he would be able to find what he needed. Freyja had informed him, the previous day that it seemed as if Allison was becoming less willing to accept fluids and feared she might stop altogether. He knew that when that happened, her remaining time would be measured in just a few days, at best. He was quickly running out of straws to grasp at. He had to try. No matter how remote the possibility might seem.

He pushed the tattered blanket aside, that served as the door between their respective sleeping areas, poked his head into Allison's room and looked momentary upon her thinning form. He was sure she wouldn't hear him, but spoke anyway.

..."Sweetheart..Ms. Buhjornsdohteer will be here soon and you're Da"...

He knew she had considered him as a Father figure, but had never really referred to him in those terms, so he quickly corrected ...

..."and I have something I need to do today. I don't know when I'll be back, but she'll take good care of you and I'll be back as soon as I can"...

A light tapping came from the blackened plywood door, separating their apartment from the main tunnel, followed by a robust but very feminine voice, laced with a Scandinavian accent...

_..."_Halló!...góðan daginn!...Sergeant Mc Cook?...James?"...

..."Ms. Buhjornsdohteer...ya!..come on in!"...He exclaimed...

...The door squeaked open to reveal the Amazonian stature and proud Nordic features of a young woman, with long straw colored hair accented with occasional streaks of gray, woven into a long braid, extending down to the small of her back. She came on in and joined James at Allison's doorway. After staring briefly at Allison's still form, she inquired, in a soft sympathetic voice...

..."How's she doing?"...then added in a quiet serious tone, while turning to him...

..."The same?"...

...With his eyes still fixed on Allison, he just nodded slightly, before he spoke up with...

..."Say..uh...Ms. Buhjornsdohteer... you've been such a... saint... this past week and...well... I hate to ask you this...but.. I have something I really need to take care of and it may take awhile, so... I was wondering... if you could maybe work a little"...

...As if reading his thoughts, she interrupted by saying...

..."No..no..you don't need to ask, I _understand_...take all the time you need..your little girl is in good hands..we'll both be here when you get back. I don't have any plans for tonight so"...

and as she steered him towards the door, said...

..."just run along...do what you need to do... don't worry about _us_... we'll be _just_ fine"...

* * *

.

.

Freyja Björnsdóttir, unlike Sergeant Mc Cook, had come from a very refined and highly educated family. She was the daughter of Dr. Björn Aðalmundsson, a leading astral physicist. She held a masters in computer science from Reykjavik University and was working on her doctorate in quantum mechanics at Cal-Tech, prior to J-Day. She was fluent in ten different languages, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Russian, Danish, German, English, Spanish, French and Japanese, in addition to her own native tongue.

Despite her impressive resume, she was a mere Corporal in the resistance, serving as a medical assistant, as her field of expertise wasn't considered vital to the war effort, at the time.

She had never really cared for the Sergeant, as she had considered him a crude, ignorant, drunken bully and had accepted her currant position, only because he had offered her "a deal she couldn't refuse" in black market goods. After discovering how he had taken Allison "under his wing" and witnessing his tender care for her during her illness, she had developed a respect and admiration for him.

Drunkenness was probably her greatest peeve and while she was certain that that's what the Sergeant had on his mind, she didn't mind so much. She knew what he was going through. He had barley left their quarters since Allison's malady had set in. If he need to try to get his mind off her it was perfectly understandable and if going out and maybe getting drunk and rowdy with his pals was the only way he knew how, while she didn't approve of it, she could accept it. Her concern though, was that she hoped that after Allison had passed on, which she didn't think was far off, he would not revert to his former self, because under that rough exterior he had a heart of gold.

Drunkenness was the last thing on James's mind, however, as he slipped out the door and jogged down the tunnel, to begin his desperate quest.

* * *

Sergeant Mc Cook simply couldn't believe his good luck. In all his years of wheeling and dealing, never had a deal come off as smoothly and quickly as had this one. He had fully expected for this to take days, at best and in his heart he knew that, due to Allison's fast deteriorating condition, time was a luxury he didn't have. It was only about 1300 and the mission was a total success.

It had also only cost him a crate of paper plates, but that was of no importance. He would have traded his entire stock, which was considerable, if need be, for what he held clutched in his hand. It was almost like some sort of divine intervention, but the battle wasn't over by far. The question now was...would it work?...He somewhat felt like a person with a terminal illness, after all possible medical solutions had been exhausted, turning to a witch doctor, in a final act of desperation. It had to work, it just had to, because his little Allison was really the only thing he had left, that he really cared about, in this dark gloomy new world.

A thirteen year old Freyja Björnsdóttir had watched her fraternal twin brother, Eiríkur Björnsson, slip into oblivion, as a result of intestinal cancer, at a lonely hospice in far off Hvammstangi Iceland. She had stood guard and tended to him like some mythical Valkyrie, waiting to escort a fallen brother to the gates of Valhalla. His dying flesh gradually withered and drew tight around his motionless bones, as ever increasing dosages of morphine, to ward off the unbearable pain, slowly numbed and shut down all but his most vital core bodily functions. She remembered his glassy sightless eyes sunken deep into skull like facial features, as she tenderly sponge moistened his lips and tongue in vain attempts to forestall the ravages of dehydration.

While there was nothing _clinically_ wrong with Allison, at least at the _onset_ of her condition, the form that lay before her was not all that unlike that of her late brother, during his final stages. She did have some "meat on her bones" and her face didn't quite have the skull like appearance of a terminal cancer patient..._yet_, but the signs were there. Her eyes had become deeply sunken, her once stout well formed legs had become loose and bony looking and her ribs were protruding through her sides. As Freyja wrestled her naked form around the bed, changing her soiled long johns and bedding, she noticed the skin was no longer bouncing back from her touch, a sure sign of serious dehydration and possible impending circulatory failure.

After finally getting her cleaned up and dressed, in a clean fresh little red "union suit." her worst fears were confirmed. Every since the beginning of her self induced coma, now over two weeks in the past, she had not taken in any sort of nourishment. She was certain that her digestive tract was well on it's way too being, if not already, total shut down. For the last week her fluid intake was sporadic, at best and had been getting worse. For the entire morning, since changing her garments, she had been trying get her to take in some liquids, without success. Her pupils would only, if ever so slightly, responded to light changes. She was going into the last stages. She was "actively dying".

Between working in the infirmary and as Allison's nurse, Freyja had only been getting about three hours sleep a day and was exhausted. After the final attempt to get Allison to accept some water, she plopped down on a crate and shut her eyes as she leaned her head back against the dirt wall, with arms hanging limp between her legs. Allison was for all practical purposes gone and other than keeping her clean, there was nothing more she could do for her. In a few days or less, the faint flicker of life within her would blink out forever. She wondered how she could prepare the Sergeant for the forthcoming tragedy. Every time he looked at his "little princess" she could see in his eyes how much he loved her and what she meant to him. It was a task she was not looking forward to.

She now, oddly hoped, he was out getting "snot slinging drunk," maybe down in the "pit," chasing after some tunnel rat whore and would revert back to his old ways, of being an insensitive cold hearted jackass. Maybe then, at least, he wouldn't be as totally devastated, as she _knew_ he would be. Her mental pondering only added to her exhaustion, as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

.

.

**Aug. 25, 2008**

**160 mi NE of Reykjavik, Iceland**

**1345 Hrs.**

**.**

They stood transfixed with wonder, as they gazed across the endless blue white expanse, of the windswept Vatnajökull glacier, glistening in the bright sun of a mid summer arctic afternoon. Long thick, waist length golden locks, cascaded out from under a multi colored wool cap, adorned with little tassels, fluttering briskly in the crisp boreal breeze. Embellished with the accoutrements' of arctic mountaineers, they stood perched high atop a frozen ridge, staring out across a vast field of white, punctuated with myriads of blackish star shaped patterns, streaking out from the countless blowholes. Rumbling and grumbling in the distance, lay the gargantuan yawning caldera of Kverkfjöll, from which immense white billowing clouds of steam rolled skyward, to spread and thin out in the upper troposphere. The bright, yet mild, arctic sun would peek through the long wispy ice crystal laden remnants of volcanic gasses and grow the little rainbow like "Sundogs," that partially circled it's edges.

Freyja had been born and raised on this far northern island, like her father and his father before him, all the way back to the days of Eirik the Red and Leif Eiriksson themselves. In all her twenty five years, as strange as it was, being native to one of the most volcanic places on the planet, she had never witness an active volcano close up, this was her first.

This was her going away present, as she had been accepted for a position as a research assistant at Cal Tech. and would be leaving in less than a week. There she would be able to start the long road toward finishing her doctorial dissertation. Her and her companion had spent the last two weeks snowshoeing across vast windswept snow fields, rappelling deep down into the dark bluish cavernous bowels of glacial crevasses and scaling high ice capped mountains. This was the climax of her two week adventure. The last good by kiss to the land that was a part of her, to the land that she loved, nearly as much as the one who stood at her side.

The long lean five foot eleven inch form, of Freyja Björnsdóttir, draped with strings of carabineers, pitons, coils of rope and ice axes, stood relaxed, leaning into the left side of her slightly taller friend, adorned in like attire. She contentedly rested her head upon the shoulder of her childhood sweetheart, as strands of the long golden locks fluttered lazily, in the crisp north wind, to mingle with countless airborne ice crystals, glittering in the bright summer sun.

With her right arm wrapped tightly under his backpack and around his middle, she looked up into his two week unshaven square jawed face and softly said...

..."þú fundarhamar mig _bestur_ tími af _minn líf_... _bestur nútíminn_...reynsla Ég mun _aldrei gleyma_...sumir dagur..._ÉG lofa til þú_...ÉG gefa til þú sem er betri...að þú munt _aldrei gleym_"...

and in a still softer tone she repeated...

..."ÉG _lofa_"...

He glanced down at her, with a feigned look of bewilderment on his face, and countered with...

..."Evaða gera þú meðalvegur?...Ég hélt að þú gerðir þegar að .. _í gærkvöldi_"...

For just the smallest portion of a second, a genuine look of bewilderment swept across her face, as she tried to grasp exactly what he meant by his response, then it hit her...

That previous night, when after they had set up there camp, they had sat together taking in the soul stirring beauty of the sun circling closer down toward the horizon, bathing the Arctic wilderness in a pinkish blue glow and she thought of all she would soon be leaving behind. She recalled how when they retired to their little tent, gave each other a sweet little good night kiss and prepared to "zip in" to their "mummy" bags, how she had glanced at him silhouetted in the midnight sun and again thought of what she would be leaving. She thought of the man before her, best friend and companion for as long as she could remember and ultimately her lover, the only one she ever knew, the only one she would ever want and how these would be their final days together, for the next two years. She bounded out of her sack, violently grabbed his head and pulled him into a long deep, totally smothering kiss, followed by a night of raw animalistic passion, on her part, at a level of intensity _she even,_ had never in her life thought she could be capable of.

As it flashed into her mind exactly what he was referring to, she smartly withdrew her arm from around his waist, gave him a somewhat playful, but _very_ sharp jab to his left side, with her elbow, backed away, planted her hands firmly on her hips and Inquiried... with a less than believable frown and scornful tone to her voice...

..." Er kynlíf _allt sem_ þú getur alltaf _hugsa um?"..._

He just stared at her as she stood there, her arms now crossed tightly over her chest, her crampon adorned boot making a very slight crunching sound, as it's toe taped in the snow, while she waited impatiently for his response. After a moment he responded with...

..."Eftir því hvernig þú flutt í gærkvöldi? _alla nóttina?"..._and after a shrug of his shoulders, finished very matter of factly with_..."Já"..._

Her mock frown was betrayed, buy a few half suppressed laughs. He reached down and scooped up a handful of snow and tossed it into her face. Her frown melted away, to a happy little grin, as she shook her head and yelled out, with an impish leer coming to her face...

..."_Nú_ þú gerðir það!...þú mig uppnámi _núna!..._Ásbjörn Sveinsson!...Nú þú ert _virkilega að_ fara að fá það!...

..."_Góður!.. _ÉG geta varla _bíða!"..._Ásbjörn cried out with and quickly followed up with...

..."_Tvisvar!.. _verður heppinn _dagur minn!"..._

...just as Freyja's flying form tackled him, sending them both into the snow, amid a mass of long flaying honey blonde hair, accompanied by the sound of rattling pitons and carabineers.

The thrashing, rattling four legged four armed "hairball," rolled around in the snow, sending little glittering flakes into the surrounding air and emitting an occasional excited little squeal and giggle, as the two combatants stuffed snow down one another's shirts. Ásbjörn finally prevailed.

Straddling her, with her arms spread out and securely pined down, he looked down at the mass of snow beneath him. Relaxing his grip on her arms, pushing aside the snow and gently parting a mass of slightly damp blond hair, he gazed down to behold the relaxed contented face and sparkling sky blue eyes of Freyja Björnsdóttir staring back at him. As he gingerly brushed the few last vagrant specks of snow and strands of hair from her face, she gently took hold of his hand, tenderly pressed it to her wind chapped lips, then held it against her cheek. They just lovingly stared into each others eyes for a minuet, then in a quiet soft voice Freyja said...,

..."ÉG elska þig...Ásbjörn...ÉG elska þig _svo_ mikill"...and in a still softer voice with a touch of seriousness shading her happy glowing features..." fleiri en þú _geta_ vita...ÉG elska þig"...

A more serious expression came over her face, as she longingly looked into his eyes and asked...

..."Gera a lofa til mig? "...

..."_Hvað sem_ þú vilt, elskhugi minn"...Ásbjörn replied in a soft tone...

..."Gera ekki alltaf leyfi mig?"...Freyja asked with a slightly concerned tone creeping in to her speech...

..."ÉG _aldrei_ vilja"...Ásbjörn assured her...

..."þú _aldrei_ vilja?."...Freyja asked again, to confirm his sincerity...

..."Ekki fyrr en _hættir tími_"...Ásbjörn reassured her emphatically in a softer, but very firm tone of voice

..."Gera þú _lofa_?"...She asked while gently stroking his cheek ...

..."Já, ÉG lofa"...He promised her, just above a whisper, then while bringing the hand that was caressing his cheek gently to his lips... barely audibly...

..."ÉG lofa..."ÉG lofa...ÉG elska þig...til endalokanna...ÉG elska þig...ÉG elska þig"...

They continued to lay there in the snow, just staring into each others eyes for a few minuets. Freyja pulled his head down, to touch just there foreheads, brushed her lips across his while running her fingers around his neck and face, followed by a long deep kiss.

They relaxed and laid there, his head resting upon her breasts, feeling the beating of her heart and warmth of her embrace. She gazed up to watch the wispy little clouds, lazily float by, in the endless sea blue sky, perfectly content and secure, feeling the warmth of his body laying on top of her's, the sound of there hearts beating together, blending in with the rumbling of the distant Kverkfjöll and the soft sound of a crisp Arctic breeze.

Ásbjörn bolted up and extended his arm. Freyja grabbed hold of his hand, as he pulled her up to her feet. They fell into another quick little embrace, followed by a quick little "peck" on the lips, brushed each other off and started gathering up the lose pieces of gear, they had shed during their little frolic. They then strolled arm in arm, back to where they had originally been standing.

Ásbjörn sat down with his legs partially extended out before him, with Freyja at his side looking off to the distant rumbling and grumbling Kverkfjöll. He looked over, gently took hold of her chin, turning her head in his direction, gave her a little nod with his head and little gesture with his hand. She acknowledged with a sweet little smile and quickly shed her back pack and ropes, flicked her hair around her neck, so as to hang down her front, clambered over his legs and sat down between them. Giving her a quick kiss on top of her head, he reached around her huddled up form, placed his hands on top of her knees and genitally pulled them up against her breasts, as she laid her head back against his chest. They sat there in silence the rest of the day, watching nature's awesome display off in the distance, her head resting back upon his broad chest, his chin resting on her head with his arms wrapped around her and her hands resting on his. They were like one soul in two bodies, or maybe two souls in one body.

Slightly above the sound of the distant volcano, two more sounds were faintly heard,.. first a sweet soft feminine voice followed by a husky but gentle masculine voice"... "Lofa?"..."ÉG lofa"...

Soon she would be leaving. It would be the first time she had ever left this far northern land and while it sort of scared her, it also somewhat excited her. Like the old Viking ancestor, Leif Eiriksson, she would be setting of to discover new places, only in far off sunny California, instead of Greenland and Nova Scotia. The spirit of adventure, It was in her blood.

The only part that really bothered her, was leaving her beloved Ásbjörn. That she knew was going to be hard. She would be going to Southern California to finish her studies and he would soon be doing the same, only at Cambridge University in England. They did however have a plan.

Ásbjörn figured it would be about two years or slightly less to finish, present and successfully defend his dissertation, to become Dr. Ásbjörn Sveinsson, as he already had a good start on it. Freyja had longer to go, so the plan was for Ásbjörn to fly in to L. A. Int. (LAX) on April 22, 2011, Freyja's twenty eighth birthday. It would be the best birthday she ever had...


	4. Ch3 The Last Valkyrie

**A/N: **

**This chapter will contain some very sexual content. If you find this sort of thing offensive then just skip over the first section (the one set in Iceland) the story won't lose that much by not reading it. If you really like that sort of subject matter than enjoy it while you can, as it's a one shot deal and I don't plan to get that explicet in the future, as that's not my normal style. The only reason I decided to do it was just to try to illustrate the depth and passion of Freyja's relationship with her former lover. There is some rather strong language in places as well. **

**The new character I have introduced (Freyja), that made her debut last chapter, may play a major role eventually or I might kill her off, not sure yet on that. **

****

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to TSCC or are they my creation. This work is strictly amature (obviously) and I receive no compensation of any kind. The character of "Freyja Björnsdóttir", however is of my creation totally.

**.**

**The Story of a Life:**

**Chapter 3: The Last Valkyrie**

**.**

**Aug. 27, 2008 **

**Garðabær, Iceland **

**Ásbjörn Sveinsson's apartment**

**2230 Hrs.**

**.**

She lay on her back wreathing in ecstasy, viciously clawing at her bare breasts, that felt as if they were about to explode. Summoning forth an extra burst of energy, she raised her head from the pillow to gaze upon his towering form, positioned perfectly between her long lean wide spread legs, that he held in a firm vise like grip, his fingers digging deep into her soft velvety skin. Her smooth sleek thighs glistened like bright ivory in front of his firm, dark tanned fuzzy one's, that were pressed firmly into the back of her's.

Struggling desperately for breath in quick high pitched little gasps, she watched his firm abdominal muscles, glistening with beads of sweat, flex and tighten with each smooth powerful thrust. Red glowing coals deep down in her pelvis, would flair up into bright yellowish orange hot searing flames, as if fanned by a blacksmith's bellows, with each long hard driving plunge, deep down into her sensitive nethermost regions.

She felt his hands smoothly slide up the back of her legs and close like a steel vice, just under the back side of her knees, as he leaned forward pressing them down into the mattress on either side of her. The searing hot flames, deep in her loins, escalated to an all consuming white hot conflagration, as Ásbjörn drove still farther down inside her.

She reached up, pulled him down and bit rabidly into his neck, in a fit of total out of control, animalistic passion, as electrically charged spasmodic twinges and convulsions shot through her entire sweat drenched body. Closeing her eyes, she dug her nails deep into his back, flung her head back with tears flooding her eyes and shrieked out with every last bit of energy she had left...

...**"JÚ!...JÚ!** **GUÐ FJANDINN!**...**JÚ!**...**ÁSBJÖRN!..._EKKI STÖÐVA!..._VINSAMLEGAST!... EKKI STÖÐVA!... .RÍÐA MIG! JÚ! RÍÐA MIG!...GUÐ! JÚ!..ÁSBJÖRN!...RÍÐA MIG!..._DAUÐI OG DJÖFULL!_ RÍÐA MIG! RÍÐA MIG...**

Their body's went totally limp as they collapsed together, totally exhausted, into the sweat soaked satin sheets. The room disappeared into a blur, behind tear filled sweat drenched eyes. She saw a blurry face as she bathed in a flash flood of endorphins. As her breathe returned to her, she purred in a relaxed contented voice...

..."þessi var _góður_...Ásbjörn...Nei...Frábært!...þessi var _Frábært!_ ...ÉG elaska þig Ásbjörn...ÉG elaska þig ákaflega mikið"...

...She kept staring at the blurry face, as her eyes came back into focus and beheld the concerned, bewildered mug, of Sergeant Mc Cook looking down at her.

* * *

.

**Feb. 10, 2022 **

**New Los Angeles, Ca. **

**1330 Hrs. **

**.**

...Oh!...uh...Sergeant Mc Cook!...uh...what are you doing here!...I mean...uh... I thought"...Freyja exclaimed, as she bolted up from the crate she had dozed off on, hastily dusting herself off in an attempt to look a _bit_ more professional...

Mc Cook cut her off by saying, with a little chuckle in his voice...

..."Well I_ do_ live here"...

..."Oh já!..sure...of course!"...Freyja quickly affirmed,..."it's just that I didn't think you'd be back ...so... soon...I thought you'd be gone for"...

She now realized she was making it sound like she had expected him to be gone and was trying to sneak in a little "cat nap" during his absence, so quickly added...

..."I mean I've been working like sixteen to twenty hour days and I guess I must have just dozed off for a bit. I'm sorry,...she's"...as she glanced briefly over toward the sleeping Allison and back...

..."all cleaned up and taken care of for now...I'll try not to let it happen again"...

..."Oh that's fine, don't worry about it"...Mc Cook reassured her while shaking his hands out in front of himself slightly...

..."You've been doing a _fine_ job and _I know_ how hard you've been working, It's just that I thought I heard you hollering, clear out in the tunnel and thought that something was wrong"...he continued.

_..."Skítur!"... _she exclaimed to herself, as a bit of red flashed over her face. She wasn't sure how vocal she might have gotten, during her dream and was pretty sure if she had, it would have most likely been in her native tongue. She had, however, been among English speaking people now for over fourteen years and had only spoken Icelandic in an occasional phrase or greeting now and again, so a bit of concern crept in. What exactly did he hear? she wondered...as she continued on nervously...

..."Oh já...I was having a.. uh...uh...a bad dream...a nightmare... daymare... or whatever"...as she shook her head slightly, in frustration and embarrassment...

Sergeant Mc Cook, on seeing that she was becoming somewhat uncomfortable with the conversation, simply said...

..."Hey that's OK, we all have those from time to time, no need to go into it"...

His statement reassured her, that he hadn't heard anything too _personal,_ so she started to regain her confidence and composure. She then thought to herself_... _

_..."OK Freyja...forget the dream, that was close to fifteen years ago...he's gone now... this is now not then...so back to business, he needs to know, he needs to start preparing, there's no way around it..You need to just tell him..as gently as you can of course, but he needs to be told. He's a good man...he's strong... you can do this...so Just do it...get it over with"... _

While placing her hand gently on his shoulder, she swallowed, looked him directly in his eyes and said in a soft, but serious tone...

..."Sergeant"...and as she slightly massaged his shoulder..."James...we need to talk"... she motioned her head slightly towards Allison's bed..."about her...she's"...

But before she could finish, Mc Cook cut in... "Ms. Buhjornsdohteer... I know she's in bad shape...but

..."Nei James, nei"...Freyja cut him off in an authoritative manor, while tightening her grip on his shoulder"... please listen to me...she's stopped taking fluids...she's...she's"...glancing briefly down to the floor and back she continued in a quiet, trembling voice...

..."She's dying James...she's dying"... ...

..."Well we both knew this was coming"...James responded while also staring at the floor..."but"...he continued, as he looked back up to Freyja with a slight look of optimism on his face...

..."look at what I found"...as he held up a rather large, very old and tattered looking, leather bound book.

She took the book from his hands. While gingerly flipping the pages and examining the faded archaic manuscript and drawings, she said with a slight smile coming briefly to her face...

_..."How_ and where did you _ever_ find this?"...then looked up to him with, a slight showing of admiration and back to the ancient pages, saying...

..."Well now, we_ are_ quite the hustler now aren't we?...Do you have any _idea_ what this might be worth?"...

..."Well"...James replied..."As far as your first question goes, I'm sure you know, I can't and _don't_ revel my sources, secondly, as far as me being _'quite the hustler'_ as you put it, I think that in this case it's more like just getting very lucky. What is it worth?...well I suppose in the pre war world it might bring a good price, _if _you could find the right collector, but as this is not the pre war world, it's probably worth what some tunnel rat would be willing to give, for something to burn to keep warm with,... but to _me_... it's priceless"...

Freyja kept looking over the old pages in amazement, for a moment, then slowly shut the book and handed it back to the Sergeant. The slight smile was replaced now by a look of seriousness and concern, as she spoke...

..."James, from what you've shared with me about her past, I think I know what your planning to do. I'm not saying it's totally impossible...I mean miracles do happen sometimes, but don't you think your getting a little desperate here? "...

..."Well like you said, she's"...He pauses and continues in a quiet tone..."dying...what other choice do I _have?"..._ ...

Freyja slightly nodded in agreement, with closed eyes and pursed lips. She looked back up to him, with slightly watery eyes and said...

... "Já...já, of _course_..it's worth a _try_,...I _don't_ mean to be insensitive...I know what that little girl means to you. I know what you're going through...but...I'm _just_ being realistic...I _don't_ want to see you get you're hopes up to high. You need to be_ prepared_ for the inevitable"...

..."Well Ms. Buhjornsdohteer"...James replied, while staring down at the book, clutched in his hands..."Sometimes hope is _all_ we have to hang on to"...

..."And _that's_ what worries me about you James"...Freyja replied... "I just think you're putting to much stock into this...this million in one chance and again let me say that I'm _not_ being cruel, just realistic..and...and the fact is...she's"...She paused, swallowed hard, looked down at the ground and back up to him with eyes on verge the of tears...

..."She's going _down_ James and it's going to get _very, very_ ugly...you need to be ready for that... and I...I _don't_ want to see _you_ go down with her"...

..."Are you saying"...the Sergeant replied with a look of astonishment..."you're concerned about _me?.._of all people?"...

..."James".. she replied..."When I first accepted this job...já... it was just for what you offered me...and...I _admit_ that I had, at _that time_ anyway, shall we say... a rather_ low_ personal opinion of you,...but that was _then_. Since then I've seen how you selflessly took care of Allison, how much you've _changed_ since she came into your life. I got to really know you."...she reached up placing a hand on his shoulder and continued...

..."I'm your friend now James ...I _care_ about you...I _don't_ want to see you hurt, anymore than possible...I _don't_ want to see go back to the way you _were,_ after she"...looking back down to the ground she went on in a solemn voice..."well you know"...

_..."Jesus...I thought she considered me lower that 'whale shit'...refined and educated as she is, not to mention more than just a little attractive at that...well that's not important for now, I need to get to work and pray to God that this works"..._he thought to himself before replying to Freyja, stumbling for words...

..."Well...uh...I really don't know what to say..uh.. Ms. Buhjorn"...

... Quickly putting a finger up to his mouth, she cut him off before he could finish her name and said...

..."James...like I said, were_ friends_ now. You _don't_ need to be so formal with me and I don't want you to be. My name is _Freyja_..Allt í lagi?...with a slight smile she continued...

..."besides, I _don't_ mean to be insulting, but you can _never_ pronounce it right anyway. It's _Björnsdóttir_, not... Buhjornsdohteer" ...she added with a chuckle"... Also, back in my native country, last names were of no importance anyway, phone books listed people by their first names first, instead of the other way around. The last name is not a family name or a surname. It's just an indication of who the father was. My Dad's name was Björn ...Björn Aðalmundsson..or... Aðalmund's son. My last name is Björnsdóttir...or... Björn's daughter, if I had been a boy it would have been Björnsson...Björn's son...so just call me Freyja...Allt í lagi?...try it on for size...you can say it"...

..."Ok Ms Buh...I mean..Freyja..I'll tr"...

..."See!".. Freyja quickly exclaimed cutting him off..."Now that wasn't so hard now was it?";...and continued on with a light hearted smile..."and you even pronounced it,... well... as good as I could _expect_... coming from a Yank"...

They both exchanged a quick little smile with a few chuckles, then Freyja again spoke out, playfully, while steping back a few paces and pointing at him...

..."Oh oh!..Sarge...you're smiling!...you're smiling!...take care that you're _face_ don't crack"...

She gave him a tight lipped smile, stepped back over to him, took the book from his hands setting it down on a nearby stack of crates and tightly grasped his hands. Looking him sincerely, in the eye she said...

..."James...seriously now..I _know _how bad your hurting inside,... _believe me,_ I do and if you think that there's even the _slimmest_ chance that this"...as she motioned her head toward the book..."might help, then já... by _all means,_ go for it... I'm behind you on it all the way. Just promise me that if it _doesn't_, you wont let it destroy you. I _know _how tough it's going to get, but please remember, that no matter what happens, you have a _friend_ to turn to...Will you promise me that?"...

James just stared somewhat blankly at her, while trying to process all she had just said. As she squeezed his hands he felt urges within him starting to stirr...

..."_Don't even think about it James_"... he thought _..."she may be a friend, but she's way out of your league...besides, you have a responsibility to your new daughter...you don't have time for that sort of thing...She's just trying to cheer you up...yes, she's a sweetheart, but just a friend..that's all..get that through your thick skull..don't get any ideas"..._

Before he could respond, Freyja continued on somewhat impatiently...

..."James..come on now, you can do it. Just say it...'I promise'...ÉG lofa"...She reached up, tweaked his chin lightly and repeated...

..."Come on, lets hear it...'I promise'...Allt í lagi?...

_..."Sheeesh!"..._ he thought..."_maybe she was easer to get along with when she hated my guts...but ya, she's right and after all she's done to help us...I owe it to her"..._

_..."_Ok... I promise"... he said flatly... "and Ms. Buhorn"...

She gave him a quick "piercing" look and he corrected...

..."I mean..._Freyja_"...

..."Much better James..._Much_ better"...she interjected.

..."Ok ok, but be patient, it will take some time to get use to being. so.. _..informal_ with you"... he stated, holding his hands out in front of himself defensively..." you need to remember I've been in the military since I was seventeen,... but all that aside, I need to tell you something"...

...'Well I'm all ears... and like I said..I'm your friend..you can tell me anything"...

..."Well remember when I said how you had been a 'saint'?...well I was wrong...you've been a"... ..he paused and took a deep breath..."You've been a .._sweetheart_...a total sweetheart,... a little '_pushy_' at times,... but a sweetheart, none the less. I know I'm _not_ the easiest person in the world to like and if you're offering me your friendship,...well.. then I'm _honored_...and I really mean that"...

She stood in front of him in disbelief at what she had just heard, then with a little contented smile and quiet voice simply said...

..."Takk...thank you...James"...

..."Now please believe me..uh..._Freyja_, I's not that I don't appreciate your _company_, but"...

..."You need time alone with Allison"...Freyja interjected before he could finish..."There's_ no_ need to apologize. I _know _what she means to you and she's your _first_ responsibility. I'll be on my way now. I'm sure the infirmary could use some help, but I _'will'_ be back later. She'll need to be striped down and cleaned up again. I know how uncomfortable you are about doing that yourself, so shall we say ...about 19:00?"...

..."Ya sure ... I'd _really_ appreciate that"...

..."Ok great!... we'll see you later then"...she chirped, while picking up her knapsack and heading for the door,... Just before stepping out into the tunnel, she turned back around, standing in the open doorway, and called out...

..."James?"...

..."Yes?"...he replied

..."You're... a good man James,... you've got a heart of gold...so please"... she glanced briefly at the floor, returned her eyes to his then continued on, with a somewhat worried look about her...

..."Please... don't ever let _anything_ change that...Allt í lagi?...

..."I pro"... He stopped,... thought for a moment,... smiled at her and continued with...

..."ÉG lofa, Freyja...ÉG lofa"...

Freyja's worried look was replaced by her soft smile, as she stared back at him. Slightly shaking her head, she said just above a whisper..."

..."You're one of a kind James..one of a kind ..Séð þig seinna...Allt í lagi?...See ya latter...Ok?"...The door squeaked, as it shut behind her and she walked out into the tunnel.

He stood staring at the door lost in mixed thoughts...

..._.."Better be careful James!"..._

_._

_..."why so?"..._

_..."You're falling for her, that's why so"..._

_..."No..she's just a good friend"..._

_..."Oh ya,..right!..so what are these 'biological urges' you get when she gets close to you?"..._

_..."She's a very good looking lady and I'm a heterosexual male, it's only natural. I can control it and even if something did happen between us, not that it will, so what?"..._

_..."So what!...so what! he asks ...James, do you seriously think she could possibly be interested in you, in that department?"..._

_..."Well I don't see why not"... _He thought to himself proudly as he stuck his chest out slightly_..."I suppose she could"..._

_...,,"You suppose she could!...you don't see why not!... James..how old are you?"..._

_..."Well I'm pushing fifty"..._

_...".Uh huh...and how old do you figure she is?..._

_..."Well I'm not sure, but she does has a few gray hairs"..._

_..."Ya...very few I might add and who doesn't these days...Have you noticed her body, her face, her eyes?"..._

_..."Now that's a silly question, you know I have"..._

_..."And you still think she's any older than her very early thirties...maybe even late twenties?... with her looks how many young 'super studs' you figure she can pick from?..you really think she would consider you? ..._

_.__..."I don't know ..she seems awfully friendly"..._

_..."Oh for Christ's sake! James! 'wake up and smell the coffee!'...start thinking with your big head instead of your 'little head '...she's playing you..can't you fucking see that!"..._

_.__..."Now why would she do that?...to what end?"..._

_..."James, you run a very successful little operation..right?... You have your own private quarters..right?..by post J-Day standards your a rich man...does the term 'gold digger' ring a bell?..how about 'sugar daddy?"..._

_..."No!..No!..no way in hell!, Freyja's not like that. She's a very refined and respectable lady"..._

_..."Oh ya...she's not like that...she wouldn't do that...She's not that kind of girl... all famous last words my friend."..._

* * *

.

**Feb. 10, 2022**

**New Los Angeles, Ca.**

**Mess Hall #2**

**1700 Hrs.**

**.**

The pale white gruel made little plopping sounds as it dripped from the upheld spoon, back into the chipped, dented up enameled bowl, sitting on a rust streaked table. Sea-Tac Sergeant Gene Scott grimaced at what would be his first _hot meal_, since he and his equally disgruntled comrade, Master Sergeant Alfredo Padilla, had been transferred to New L. A. They sat in stark contrast, with their neat clean dark blue uniforms, complete with tucked in ties, to the rag tag looking L. A. resistance forces, as they sat together, grumbling over their present situation.

..."Good _god!_ this place is a fuckin armpit!"...Scott exclaimed as he continued playing with his food..."Just what in the name of hell does this Perry character need us for _anyway?..._to help move solar panels around and run from the enemy when we see them?..to hide out in this _shit hole?..._

..."Well cabrón"...Padilla retorted, while gnawing on a piece of hard tack like material..."What makes you so sure Perry is the _reason_ we ended up here? You don't think _your _little _escapade_ with those two nurses might have had something to do with it?...especially as how one of them was Gen. Mitchell's third cousin?...third cousin to _not only_ the supreme commander of Sea-Tac, but of all North American forces as well... ...real 'smooth move'... _retrasado_...¡Chingao!"...he exclaimed while shaking his head..."he was _pissed_...¡hijo de puta!"...

..."Well how was_ I_ suppose to know that!"...Gene fired back ..."The little bitch never said anything to _me_ about it..and as for _you!"..._as he jabbed his spoon towards his buddy..."I didn't hear any complaints from _you_ that night..._you_ were too busy porkin her girlfriend. How many times did you two 'get it on'?... I seem to _recall _that you couldn't walk right for the next two days...So _don't _be blaming this crap on _just me_ pal!"...

..."Well ya, I'll have to admit, that was _one hell_ of a night"...Alfredo confessed with a slight grin..."that was quite the little_ puta_ you set me up with...la cusca _pequeñita_...some real good memories there_...¡chingar_ y desgastar el _petate!"..._

..."Well you _best_ hang on to those memories, because from what _I've seen_ so far around this dump, I got the feeling that that's the last bit of _that kind_ of action_ we'll_ be seeing for awhile."...Gene replied, as he morosely picked at his supper...

..."Oh I don't know, it _might not_ be so bad here, once we get use to it...I hear there's a whole lower level,_ full_ of little whores, that will sell their ass for next to _nothing_"...Alfredo remarked.

..."The lower level!, you _must_ be _joking!"..._Gene blurted out, half choking on his last mouthful..

..."Remember right after we arrived in this _paradise_ and I got lost for a bit?...Well I accidentally stumbled into that _lower level_ you're referring to. Let me educate you on _that_ subject. First of all the whole damn place smells like a cat box that hasn't been cleaned out for a _month_ or two. It's ankle deep in mud, pitch black, the air is_ filled_ with smoke burning you're eyes, from scattered cook fires, where they are cooking _God only knows_ _what_ and when you _do_ manage to get a glimpse of one of the _natives_ down there, it looks like a walking _corpse!_."..."I've been told that there are diseases down there that haven't even been _discovered_ yet!.. Hell! rumor has it that they even got people with _leprosy!_ down there! It's _little wonder_ Skynet doesn't seem to bother this place. I'll bet even those _metal bastards_ wouldn't have the balls to go _down there_. One good tremor and this whole _damn place_ would probably cave in. This place is like living in the dark fucking! _ages!..._no,.. more like"...

...Alfredo was no longer paying attention to Gene's self pitying tirade, as his eyes were now glued on to someone that had just entered the mess hall. He smacked Gene on the shoulder a few times, to get his attention and while smartly motioning toward the door with his head, he said...

..."Hey! Hey!... _¡puñatero!_ .. ¡no mames!...can the whining crap!..._ ¡chingao!_ ... check this! shit out"...

...Gene's head snapped in the direction Alfredo had indicated. His eyes widened, his jaw dropped and after a moment he let out with..."Well now...hello!,..hello!, _hello!..._where the hell has _she!_ been all my life."...

..."You think _maybe _this place is starting to look a little _better _now?"...Alfredo inquired...

..."I've never seen things look up so fast in _all my life!"..._Gene responded, as they both continued to gawk...

..."Not _bad _huh bud"...Alfredo commented...

..."Not bad!...she's a goddess!...a goddamn _goddess!"..._Gene replied...

..."Ya check out that _hair!_ man, I'll bet if she unbraided it, it would hang down clear over her _butt!"..._Alfredo remarked while virtually drooling.

..."Screw that!"...Gene countered lasciviously..."leave it _braided,_ why hide that cute little tight ass of her's!"...

..."Well... can't argue with that"...Alfredo agreed.."She's hot, that's for _sure!_,.. but _man_,... she's got to be close to six foot tall"...

..."So?... what's that got to do with anything?"...Gene replied as he very briefly turned to him with a puzzled look..."That's all the better actually"... he continued on lustfully..."Come on.._think_ about it...what would it be like, to feel those nice long legs of hers..._naked_...snaking up and around you, while you're on top of her?... to have her wrap them nice and tight around your _bare ass?"..._

..."Oh _ya!".._Alfredo responded..."Gives me a boner, just_ thinking_ about it"...

They continued to blatantly gawk, as she made her way from the coffee server to a table, at the far end of the hall, where she sat down, took a sip of her coffee and started to read.

..."Check her out! man.. _check- her- out!_ "...Gene exclaimed emphatically...

..."Oh I _am_ bro...oh how I am"...Alfredo added, but then with a look of melancholic frustration, he looked back down at the table and stated..."She's hotter than a five dollar pistol, that's _for sure_, but sadly just a _bit _out of our league. It's wet dream time _again _tonight I guess...el mecos"...

Gene gave a puzzled look to his partner before inquiring..."Wet dreams?...out of our _league?_ ...What the _hell _you talking about?"...

..."She's - _out - of - our - league!_... guy!"... Alfredo snapped at him...

..."Didn't you notice the way she walked..the proud way she carries herself?...She may be hot, but she's _no_ party girl and she's _nobody's_ fool. That broad's _got class_..._That's!.._ what I'm talking about.. _¡cabrón!_...Plus... just _look at her_ over there, she hasn't taken her nose out of that book_ once _since she sat down. She's a bookworm, an egghead and the _last thing_ on her mind tonight is two characters like _us."..."_Judging by _her _looks, I don't imagine she has _any problem,_ getting some lucky dude to give her 'el retazo _macizo grande'_ when she feels the need. If that's what she _wanted_ she wouldn't be here in the _first place_. She'd be getting some as we speak. You seem to forget that _I'm Latino_ bud._ I know_ how women work."...

..."Ok..._fine,.._ Mr hot blooded Latin lover "...Gene replied with more than just a note of sarcasm, before adding.."who _can't_ ever seem to get laid without _my help,_ I might add."...

..."Go ahead..go back to your cot and wank off all night if that's _your_ pleasure, but as for _myself_...well I think I'd prefer the _real thing_ and"...he added, while glancing off in her direction, lustfully for a moment..."I happen to_ know_ where there's a particularly good looking, long haired, long legged young lady, that will be more than _happy_ to supply me with the real thing"...

..."Yes.._I agree_..like you said, she's a class act and likewise doubt that she has a problem finding someone to _service her_ when she's in the mood, but being the class act that she is, do you _really think_ she would just go up to some guy and ask if he would like to fuck? Think about it my no it all 'Latino' friend. What did she do when she came in here? She went to the coffee pot, giving everyone a cute little smile, didn't even _bother_ to get something to eat, strutted her stuff over to a rather secluded corner and now she's waiting. No, she _won't_ have any problem finding someone to give her a little...because _I'm_ the one that's going to give it to her."...

Alfredo rolled his eyes as he spoke out with..."Ya...right bud, she's waiting _just_ for _you_,... she came in here just because she heard _you_ were going to be here._ ¡Chingao!._ you wont get to first base! with her let alone a home run!'...

..."Oh so you don't think I can?"...Gene inquired...

..."No..._I know_ you can't ... _naco!_ ...that's not some sixteen year old spoiled brat sitting over there guy. She's a _for real_ full grown woman, got to be in her mid twenties, I'll bet and this _won't_ be her first rodeo"...

..."It's wont be mine _either,_ as you well know"...Gene shot back...

..."Seeing as how she's over the age of _eighteen _it will be...cabrón "...Alfredo curtly replied, with a slight smirk.

..."Ok pal"...Gene replied flatly..."laugh if you like but _I'm_ going to get me a little piece of her tonight, she's going to love every second of it and will be begging for more."...

..."Has anyone ever told you you're delusional?... _¿pinche retardado?"..._Alfredo asked, in a very matter of fact tone...

..." Just remember pal... 'you snooze you lose'...and if I were _you_ I'd pay attention, maybe even take notes son, while you watch the _'old pro'_ in action. I'd like to sit here and chit chat some more, but I got a lady waiting for me and it's _'show time_"...with that he stood up, took a deep breath, primped at his hair, adjusted his tie and cracked his knuckles, while muttering to himself ...

..."ready or not babe...here I come,.. don't bother to resist.. cause you're as good _as got_... and you're going to _love it_"... then strode off smartly towards his objective...

Alfredo watched, as his buddy stood before the long haired Amazonian beauty, seated at the far end of the mess hall. He couldn't quite make out the distant conversation, but he was sure he was making a complete fool of himself. ...

..._"Well there he goes again"... _he thought to himself..._"He's a good guy ...but man he can be asshole at times,...¡hijo de puta! ...oh well might as well watch the show..this should be good"..._

Off in the distance, Gene chattered away, making various gestures with his hands. She would occasionally look up from the book, she was reading and give him a somewhat pleasant looking polite smile. She finally said something that made Gene freeze momentarily, then resumed his little "speech" with renewed vigor. After reaching down to tilt the book, she was so absorbed in, up slightly so as to read the title, he made some sort of exclamation, along with more hand and arm gestures, then hastily grabbed a chair and seated himself across the table from her.

Alfredo looked on with renewed interest himself, as the girl set her book down, tilted her head to the side slightly to rest her cheek in her left hand, giving him a very relaxed and contented looking smile, as he scooted his chair in closer_..."Hmm"... _he thought to him self..._..." he seems to be doing ok, at least she hasn't slapped him across the face yet...that's a good start...for him anyway"..._

Gene continued on with his "pick up line," while she appeared to be becoming more engrossed with him by the minuet. As he would occasionally brush his fingers across her face and through her hair, she would respond with a cute little smile and occasionally a few giggles.

He simply couldn't believe his eyes, as he witnessed her reach across the table, lightly stroke his cheek, then gently pull him in to her for a long smooth kiss, after which she mouthed a few soft words, leaned back against the wall and gave him a slight nod, while patting the seat next to her. Gene bounced to his feet as if by command of a five star General, quickly made his way around to her side of the table, tripping over chairs in the process and sat down close beside her.

_... "¡Chingao!...He's sliding into second base!...She's actually falling for his line of bull crap...maybe, for the first time in his life he was right about a girl he had his sights on...perhaps she was simply 'trolling' for some action"..._Alfredo thought to himself, as he watched her unbraid that gorgeous long straw blonde hair, toss her head a few times, then cuddle up to him while working her fingers between the buttons of his shirt, over his slightly oversized belly.

Padillia continued to watch, in total amazement, as his partner seemed to be rapidly closing in on "third base". They were now tightly cuddled up to each other and she seemed to be softly brushing her lips around his neck and nibbling at his ear. While one hand ran through his greasy hair, the other was now thoroughly exploring the areas under his shirt and paying particular attention to the region just above his belt buckle. He, on the other hand, had one arm neatly tucked under her long flowing locks grasping her opposite shoulder, pulling her firmly up against himself. His free hand was now vigorously assaulting several of her more "erogenous" zones.

_... "Go, bro go!"..._ Alfredo thought, as he mentally cheered him on_... "You got her bro!, I never would have believed it, not in a million years,... but you got her on the home stretch...she's primed and ready guy...you lucky son of a bitch"..._ He pondered it over and over in his mind, on just how his clod best friend had managed to pull this off. Was it his animal magnetism, his talent with women, or was it maybe just because she possibly hadn't had a good "root" for several months? Knowing Gene, he figured the latter was most likely the case_..._

_.." just a case of being in the right place at the right time"... _he mused to himself, but be that as it may, he knew now for a certainty, that good old Gene was in for a night not soon forgotten. He also knew he would definitely be eating a king size portion of "crow" the next morning, as his friend would be supplying him with a very descriptive account of his "night of conquest"...

..._"Oh well"..._ he thought_..."I suppose the show's just about over...the way things are progressing...I doubt if it will be much longer now before they head out to someplace 'a little more private'...Christ! it will be six months at least before he stops reminding me about this night."..._

It was then, that Alfredo noticed a fair size Buck Sergeant standing close buy, with his hands stuffed in his pockets, also taking in the show with a somewhat blank look on his face. He was attired in the usual mismatched, tattered and faded fatigues, that were the uniform of the L.A. resistance forces. While the resistance was generally a pretty motley looking bunch, this guy seemed to be particularly unkempt, with his stubbly four to five day unshaven face, hair that hadn't been groomed, probably since J-Day and generally looking like an unmade bed.

..._"Oh oh!"..._he thought to himself..._"Boyfriend maybe?...not good..not good... ...¡Chingao!..we've been here less than twelve hours and Gene's habit of thinking with his chilito_ _is already getting us in a jamb"..._he thought, as a look of concern started to spread across his face.

His worries, were at least partially relieved however, when he noticed a occasional slight look of amusement come over the Gruff looking Sergeant. The newcomer glanced down at Alfredo momentary, then back to the little show, that was being put on by the two _would be_ lovers. Without breaking his gaze upon the passionate couple, he inquired flatly...

..."By the uniform, I take it that that's you're buddy, with 'Old Icy' over there ...right?"...

As he didn't appear to be all that concerned about the goings on's and actually more amused than anything else, Padillia assumed It was safe to speak freely, but still decided to proceed with due caution...

..."Uh..ya I know him".. Alfredo replied..."He's my..uh..partner, we got in today at 1300"...

...The Sergeant upon sensing his uneasiness, replied with..."Hey don't worry, she's not a girlfriend, just a good friend...Her _personal_ life is her business, but I _do_ find her amusing, at times like _this_"...he went on, while shaking his head slightly with a little grin.

..._"Hmm"..._he pondered.._"this guy doesn't seem to be all that interested in her, except perhaps in some weird voyeuristic way. He does seem to know her however, so maybe I can learn something here._ _He did mention something about 'times like this'...so is this a regular thing with her?"...He wondered..._"_Maybe she's just some nymphomaniac?...¿chucha cuerera?...burned out on the local talent perhaps?"..._

_..._A wellspring of hope bubbled up within him, as he reasoned to himself..._"If this is the case, then it should only take her one night to get permanently burned out on 'mula'...knowing his actual talent with the lady's, after which, I may be able to get a few good shots at her, at the very least. We'll just see who eats the most crow."..._"So you know her?"..Padillia inquired..."Old_ Icy'_ you say?"...

..."Ya...she's been with us since J-day and... I _actually _met her about a year before that. She gave a lecture on the possibilities of time travel, among other things, during my junior year of high school. I don't think there's a _person here_ that doesn't think the world of her. She's a real sweetheart, but_ totally_ in love with a ghost."...he stated, while slightly shaking his head, then continued with...

..."She hasn't been with a man since J-Day, as far as _anybody knows_, not that she hasn't had more that a _few offers,_ in times past, but we all know better than to _even try_ now."...

... "Her name's Freyja... something or other, one of those long hard to pronounce foreign names. She's about the most warm, friendly person you could ever hope to meet, but try to take it any farther than that and she'll shut you off "_stone cold_"...so...we just call her "Icy"or"Ice". Might also have something to do with her coming from Iceland, all kinds of ways a person picks up a nick name."...

Sergeant Padillia was just all the more mystified, by what he had just heard..."_She was doing lectures on time travel theories, to high school kids ...twelve years ago?"..._..he thought..._"even if she's twenty seven and that's pushing it, that would make her fifteen back then...rather unlikely...the part about her having no interest in men?"..._as he glanced over to the couple, passionately engrossed with each other ..._"that don't seem right either...at least not at the moment"..._

_..." _Well Sarge".. he piped..."It's not that I dought what you're saying but"...as he again glanced in their direction..."it would seem _to me_ as if 'Icy's' ice is melting as we speak...perhaps she's finally met her _match?..._and the part about her doing lectures, way back then?...well _come on now..._was she some sort of child _prodigy_ or something?"...

The newly arrived Sergeant shook his head, with his bottom lip stuck out slightly as he answered the questions...

..."If you think her ice is _melting_..well"...and with a slight chuckle, he continued..."The shows _not over_ yet...and as far as her _age_ is concerned..well how old you _think_ she is?"...

Alfredo thought for a moment and figured she must be a bit older, so he took a guess..."Uh..twenty eight?"

..."Nope"..was the answer he got, accompanied with a negative head shake...

..."Ok then..thirty?...thirty one maybe?"...He inquired farther, with a look of amazement coming over his face.

..."Nope..nope"...was the reply as he held his hands up slightly..."I'll save you the trouble".. he continued..." try thirty nine..fourty"...

..."No _way!..._you _gotta be_ shitin me"...was all Padillia could say, before the other Sergeant added...

..."No..it's a fact...she's been trying to get transferred up to Sea-Tac now for some time and I saw her birth date on an application. If you think _that's_ something"...he continued on with raised eyebrows...

..."When we first found her,...well _get this_. According to her, on J-Day, she was running in a panic, to reach the tunnels under city hall. She had stumbled into an open manhole, at the _exact second_ the first bomb went off. Apparently there had been a problem with a water main and it was half flooded, probably the _only reason_ she wasn't vaporized by the fireball. _How _she escaped being boiled like a lobster, is a true mystery."...

... "For that _split second,_ before she went under the water, however, she had been _totally blinded_ by the flash. The infrared, ultraviolet and gamma rays had _instantly _burned _every stitch_ of clothing into her skin. For a couple of days, she figures, as she was totally blind, she floundered around the sewer systems with a broken arm. On the _third day_, we figure, as that's the day we found her, her vision returned enough to where she could see, _just enough_ to where she could pick her way through the still smoldering rubble, to find the shelters under what use to be city hall, where we had been hold up. According to the _doctors,_ that should have _never_ happened. She should be blind to this day."...

... "_Two years_ after the attack, the surface was still so 'hot' that exposure had to be limited to not more than ten minuets per man per month"...he continued on..."It wasn't until the _third year_ that we could venture out, for any length of time. Six months after the blast, the level of exposure to radiation on the surface was estimated to be well over a thousand REM per hour, yet there she was, just _three days_ after, totally naked, the patterns of her clothing burned into the skin, most of her hair gone, blood oozing from every opening in her body and banging _franticly_ on the blast door to be let in"...

... "It was estimated, that she had an exposure level _in excess_ of five thousand REM. Her survival was figured to be no more than forty eight hours, _tops_, yet there she is today."...as he nodded in her direction..."perfect health, _better than_ 20/20 vision, _not a scar_ on her body and _never_ gets sick. The only difference I can see, since the time our science class attended her lecture and today, is that her hair doesn't seem to have quite the luster, there's a little gray in it and the doctors say she's sterile. So _you_ figure it out, nobody else can, _including_ herself."...

* * *

.

**Feb. 10, 2022**

**New Los Angeles, Ca.**

**Sgt. Mc Cook and Allison Young's Quarters**

**1400 Hrs. (3 Hrs. earlier)**

**.**

Sergeant Mc Cook sat in the soft glow of Allison's lava lamp, staring desperately down at the ancient book clasped in his hands. He looked upon Allison's shriveled up form tucked tight in a fetal position and pictured in his mind the vibrant spunky young girl, twirling around in front of him, so full of life and happiness, that fateful morning before she set out to meet her young man, who would never return.

Freyja's words echoed in his mind, as he looked into her cloudy sunken eyes, sunken even deeper than when he had left earlier that morning, in search of the book he held in his hands. He knew she most likely wouldn't be able to see it, but he gently held the book up to her face. Freyja had told him once, that hearing was usually the last sense to leave, when a person was dying and prayed she was right. Fighting back the urge to totally break down, in a weak and somewhat trembling voice, he called out to her...

..."Allison?...can you hear me sweetheart?...look here what your"...and after he paused to fight back tears coming to his eyes, he proceeded..."What your...Dad..found for you"...as he held the old original 1782 version of, Sir Thomas Mallory's... Acts of King Arthur and His Knights.

..."I remember you telling me how much you cherished these stories and the times you're Mother would read them to you"...he went on not even knowing if she could hear, or was even listening if she could...

..."So..I was wondering if you might like me to read them to you, like she use to do"...

He paused and stared at her silent form, her dead sunken eyes staring into oblivion, as if awaiting an answer. Fighting back still another surge of emotion, balling up in his throat, he scooted his crate up close to her bed. He gently opened the fragile old book and stared in horror at what he beheld. Up to now he had never really paid any attention to the words on the old faded pages. Before him, in an ornate and archaic old script, were the stories he had intended to read to her. It was English, but in a form that was like nothing he had ever seen and prayed to God that he would be able to read it. He took a deep breath and began...

* * *

- **Capitulum primum -**

"HIt befel in the dayes of Vther pendragon when he was kynge of all Englond and so regned that there was a myȝty duke in Cornewaill that helde warre ageynst hym long tyme. And the duke was called the duke of Tyntagil and so by meanes kynge Vther send for this duk, chargyng hym to brynge his wyf with hym for she was called a fair lady and a passynge wyse and her name was called Igrayne"...

...He read on and on, stumbling his way through the ancient form of English...

..." Thenne for pure angre and for grete loue of fayr Igrayne the kyng Vther felle seke. So came to the kynge Vther Syre Vlfius a noble knyght and asked the kynge why he was seke. I shall telle the said the kynge, I am seke for angre and for loue of fayre Igrayne that I may not be hool, wel my lord said Syre Vlfius, I shal seke Merlyn and he shalle do yow remedy that youre herte shalbe pleasyd. So Vlfius departed and by aduenture he mette Merlyn in a beggars aray and ther Merlyn asked Vlfius whome he soughte and he said he had lytyl ado to telle hym. Well saide Merlyn, I knowe whome thou sekest for thou sekest Merlyn therfore seke no ferther for I am he and yf kynge Vther wille wel rewarde me and be sworne vnto me to fulfille my desyre that shall be his honour & profite more thā myn for I shalle cause hym to haue alle his desyre. Alle this wyll I vndertake said Vlfius that ther shalle be nothyng resonable, but thow shalt haue thy desyre well said Merlyn, he shall haue his entente and desyre. And therfore saide Merlyn, ryde on your wey for I wille not be long behynde"...

For a moment he thought he had noticed a change in Allison's dead eyes, a slight glimmer, a slight movement, but when he looked into them he saw nothing, just the look of impending doom. He took a short break from his struggle through the archaic text and found himself wishing that Freyja might decide to drop in earlier than expected...

..._"She could read this like a summer breeze I bet"..._he thought to himself. He also started to realize that, despite his misgivings concerning her motives, he had started to find her a great comfort, during these dark times.

Glancing to the still form of his little princess, melting away into eternity and back to the old faded pages, he whispered another short simple prayer...

..."Please God help me...please don't take her away from me"...

He looked back down to the pages and continued to read, as best he could, the stories his little Allison loved so much, not _sure_ if she could even hear. This _had to work_ as it was the _last hope_, so on he read..on and on ... into the night...

..."THenne Vlfius was glad and rode on more than a paas tyll that he came to kynge Vtherpendragon and told hym he had met with Merlyn, where is he said the kyng sir said Vlfius he wille not dwelle long there with al Vlfius was ware where Merlyn stood at the porche of the pauelions dore."...

* * *

.

**Feb. 10, 2022**

**New Los Angeles, Ca.**

**1700 Hrs.**

**.**

Freyja Björnsdóttir strode briskly down the tunnel, through the late afternoon, early evening crowd. She had volunteered her off duty time at the infirmary and the person she had been filling in for had returned. There was still a couple of hours left, till the time of which she had promised to return to Sergeant Mc Cook's quarters. It had been a slow day, so had she decided to take her leave, rather than take a chance of getting caught up in the action, if things were to change and possibly being late for her appointment. She wanted to drop in early, as she had been worried sick about them all day, but she had promised 1900...not a _second_ sooner or later. Punctuality was next to a virtue, in her eyes.

She like, Sergeant Mc Cook, was one of the very fortunate few enlisted personnel that had managed to end up with their own private quarters. It wasn't much, just big enough to accommodate an old cot and rusty filling cabinet, that served as a dresser and storage area, for her few personal possessions, along with an old broken piece of mirror, sitting on top, leaning back against the dirt wall.

In her knapsack she carried a relatively up to date technical journal, from the printing press at Sea-Tac, on the subject of quantum mechanics applied to human cell regeneration (one of the items she had received in payment from Sergeant Mc Cook, for her care of Allison). She figured as she had a few hours to kill, now would be a good time to catch up on her reading. At first she had planed on retiring to her quarters, but the extremely dim light and absence of anything to sit on, beside the rickety old cot, made her decide otherwise. Sleeping was about all it was really good for.

While she wasn't a particularly social type of person, just the presence of others, going about their various duties and the distant mummer of conversation in the background, seemed to be preferable to the stark loneliness of her dank dark sleeping area. She wasn't really all that hungry, but a cup of coffee would go good, so she decided that one of the mess halls would be the best choice for a little relaxation, before returning to her duties of Allison's care.

As she entered Mess Hall #2, she noticed the far end was pretty much uninhabited, perfect to relax in with a good book. After a few greetings and a pleasant exchange of smiles, to some of her many acquaintances, as she made her way through the "early for supper crowd", she arrived at the coffee server. It had always amazed her on how, in light of the never ending shortages of most all the most basic material, they could still manage to produce a fairly decent cup of coffee.

As she watched the steaming black liquid flow into her mess kit cup, she felt the distinct felling of being watched. Shutting off the coffee spigot, that being watched feeling escalated to an all out piercing sensation, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand at full attention. Taking a sip of the hot refreshment, she quickly and discreetly glanced about the room, whilst moving toward the far end of the hall and discovered the authors, out of the corner of her eye, of the afore mentioned sensation.

Two pair of beady eyes, staring as if to be mentally undressing her, attached to a couple of young men decked out in spotless Sea-Tac uniforms, were watching her every move.

... _" Now what have we got here"..._she mused to herself..._'"strangers in town obviously"..._

One of them, seemingly of Spanish American ancestry, was actually a rather good looking man. His companion and the more vocal of the two, with his pink pudgy face and greasy orange hair, somehow reminded her of someone who may have discovered a way to mature into his early twenties, while bypassing puberty altogether.

Her chosen table was actually an old salvaged picnic table, pushed up against the wall. The bench facing the inside of the room was missing and an array of various battered up folding chairs took it's place. The side closest to the wall, however, still had it's bench intact. Grabbing one of the fold up chairs she plopped down on the bench, stretched one leg out beneath the table, whilst propping the other up on the chair. Leaning back against the wall, she took a couple sips of coffee, returned the cup to the table, opened her book and started to read.

She had long awaited a chance to delve into the new book. The subject matter was of great interest to her, but somehow she found it becoming more difficult to concentrate. The two Sea-Tac soldiers leering at her from across the room were part if it, but that was actually the least of what had been on her mind. _..."Sea-Tac"..._she wondered to herself..._"what could bring them down here?"..._

There had been a time when she would have given her right eye to be transferred up there and be accepted for a position at their research facility, where she could perhaps make a real contribution to the war effort. Request upon request had been made and countless applications had been sent to no avail. That came as no surprise however, the communications situation being as it were. Most likely, her requests had never gotten through.

Her desire to get up to the Pacific Northwest, had in the last few weeks however, been complicated by her duties toward Allison Young, not to mention the feelings she had developed toward her surrogate father.

She knew that there could be no way she would ever be able to have children of her own, even if there was a man that she would ever consider to assist her with that goal. The memory of her beloved Ásbjörn, the pact of total trust and devotion, till the end of time, that they had sworn to each other that day, so long ago, on top of the glacier, still lived in her as if it were yesterday. As long as he lived in her mind, he wasn't really dead and the thought of ever betraying him was totally repugnant to her. Still, she recalled the countless nights she had cried herself to sleep, in the growing loneliness that haunted her soul.

Her new position as Allison's nurse, while at first had just been another job, very quickly changed as if she were her very own. The daughter she could never have. Allison would soon be gone as well and that haunted her all the more.

The relationship she had developed with James, while just a good friend, had also seemed to fill in a little piece of that deep inner loneliness. The concern she felt for James, concerning Allison's forthcoming demise was really only a facade, as she knew now that when that time came, she would need him as much as he would need her. The of idea not being able to see him whenever she felt the need, regardless of Allison's fate, had become increasingly less palatable and if by some miracle Allison did mange to pull through this crises, the thought of leaving would be out of the question.

She was interrupted from her thoughts, when she noticed the somewhat round countenance of the puffy faced Sea-Tac Sergeant, standing at the opposite side of the table, apparently getting up enough nerve to speak.

..._"Well I just knew this was going to happen"..._she mused to herself..._..."Oh well Freyja...just be pleasant and keep reading, if your lucky he'll get the hint and just go away"..._she thought to herself, while glancing up to give him a quick polite smile, before returning to her reading...

..._"She smiled at me!...before I could even say anything!...she's interested!"..._he thought as he finally "addressed" her...

..."Hey there!.. sweet thing!..I.. uh... couldn't help but notice you sitting all by yourself and being new here, as I'm _sure_ you _noticed_ from my uniform, I figured it would be the _gentlemanly_ thing to offer you some companionship...to get off on the right foot... if you _know_ what I mean...after all... a sexy looking lady like you _really shouldn't_ be by herself in a place...well _like this_"...as he made a sweeping gesture with his hands, toward the rather rag tag looking L.A troops that had started to fill the mess hall.

..._"Well now..I guess chivalry isn't dead yet"..._she thought sarcastically while suppressing a chuckle, translating into a slightly more intense smile.

..._"She's taking the bait!..look at that smile she just gave me!...keep it up Gene! she's falling for it!"..._he thought proudly as he rambled on...

..."Me and my buddy over there"...as he made a quick gesture toward Alfredo...

..."Well were from _Sea-Tac_, as I'm sure you've _noticed_"...he stated in a somewhat boastful fashion...

..."But now don't let that _worry_ you...You see, the way _I see it_ is that were all _equals_ in this war,... we're all human, _regardless_ of where we come from"...He explained in a somewhat condescending manor.

..._"Well now..I'm certainly relived to hear that...I'll bet this clown could charm the pants off a frigid lesbian"..._she mused to herself with continued sarcasm..._"But this guy doesn't seem to be getting the hint...so I guess it's time to go to plan 'B'...that should work...hopefully"..._and with that she gave him a another little smile, combined with a somewhat puzzled look before saying...

..."Fyrirgefðu en ég tala ekki ensku...Þú getur tala íslensku?" (I'm sorry,... I don't speak English...can you speak Icelandic?)...then stared intently at him, as if expecting an answer.

The blood drained from his puffy pink face, as a shock wave of disappointment swept over him, rooting him in place with his jaw gapping open ...

..._"Holy shit!...she's German"..._He thought..._"Now what?...ok..ok Gene, don't panic you can do this...just_ _look at those eyes!..the way she's staring at you!...she wants your body Gene...you can 'wing it'..after all..lust is the universal language"..._he assured himself, before speaking out in his best German accent...

..."Vell vell mine froyline...vee loven der Germin frows...ya ya das goot mine froyline I thinken vee maken fer eachen otheren"...(Well well my fraulein...me love the German fraus...yes yes that's good my fraulein. I think were made for each other)...

Freyja was, at this point, totally beside herself with internal laughter and doing her best to keep from bursting out. ...

..._"Oh ya ...if you don't understand a language simply talk with a ridiculous accent, throw in a few words you might think are of that language and generally talk like a complete moron...works every time...oh well, ignore this cretin and he'll just go away"..._she thought..or rather hoped, but her hopes were short lived.

Her would be suitor suddenly and a bit rudely reached out and grasped the book she had been reading, to look at the title, _never realizing_ that as she was_ reading_ a book printed in English, it might well be that she could _speak_ English. He made some wild gesture with his arms while exclaiming ...

..."Max nicks!...ya! ya!...der Quantum Mechaniken...vedy goot...vedy goot...ya ya das goot! mine froyline...vee mechaniker liken you!...vee vast ment to be!...der gooten Lord verken in mysterious vays! frow mechaniker"..(Max nicks!...yes!..yes!...the Quantum Mechanics...very good...very good...yes...yes that's good my fraulein...me mechanic like you!...we was meant to be!...the good Lord works in mysterious ways! frau mechanic.)

Gene Scott simply couldn't belief his good fortune, not only was this hot chick becoming totally enraptured by his "animal magnetism" but she was a mechanic just like him. He wasn't exactly sure what a "Quantum" was though, some sort of new combat vehicle perhaps, but what the hell? a wrench is a wrench, he figured. Not only did it seem as if he was rapidly closing in on a good "roll in the hay", she could perhaps turn out to be a regular "hot piece of ass" for him. The curse of being transferred to this shit hole had become a blessing beyond description...

_..." The Lord truly works in mysterious ways!"..._He thought to himself, as he hastily grabbed one of the folding chairs, sending two others clattering to the floor in the process, plopped into it and with his belly jiggling like a bowl full of jelly and scooted it up to the table, the aging structure he was seated in groaning and squeaking in protest.

Freyja simple couldn't _believe_ the density of the character that was seating himself, _uninvited_, across from her. She calmly closed her book and set it aside. Supporting her head with her left hand, she gazed intently at his chubby pre adolescent face, in total amazement. She could barely suppress the laughter building inside her, as a wide gleaming smile spread across her face.

While she was well aware that the troops from Sea-Tac had it _pretty good_, by comparison, life in this post J-Day world was still pretty rough. She couldn't fathom how _anybody_, let alone someone in the uniform of a _well respected_ military force, could manage to retain the copious amounts of "baby fat" that he possessed.

As he was in the process of seating himself, her eyes ran up and down his roundish form. She beheld with total awe his stubby tree trunk legs, as they rubbed together, his jelly like belly creeping over his belt, the greasy shine of his orange kinky slicked back hair and that face...Oh that face!...his little squinting eyes, peering out from little deposits of baby fat, his pinkish puffy cheeks with just a hint of freckles and his goofy looking "man in the moon" grin...

..._"and this guy seems to think he's some sort of ladies man"..._She thought while slightly shaking the head she was resting on her upheld fist..."_I'll even bet he thinks he might get in my pants tonight"..._...she further thought, while fighting to keep the grin on her face under control.

_..."Holy crap! Gene...did you see the way her eyes were checking you out!...that devilish grin of her's...man!, she's 'hot to trot' ..._he thought to himself as he sat down and locked eyes with her.

As he stared into her sparkling sky blue, desire filled eyes, he had visions of her long silky smooth legs, wrapping tightly around his bare butt, as she was shrieking his name out in a fit of total ecstasy, her...

..."_Oh shit!"_ ...he thought as a sudden realization came over him..._"We don't even know each others names...how will she be able to do that if she doesn't know my name?"..._He thought for a moment, then proceeded condescendingly...

..."Vee Gene!"(Me Gene!)...he proclaimed while vigorously slapping his chest...

..."Gene!...Gene!"_ ..._He went on, as he repeated the procedure several times. He then jabbed a pudgy finger her direction, as he inquired with raised eyebrows...

..."Voo?" (You?) ...and waited patiently for a response...

..."Vee Gene!" (Me Gene!)...chest slap..."Voo?"(You?)...finger jab...He went patiently through the entire process several times, as if teaching "Sheena Queen of the Jungle" her first human utterances.

_..."Now isn't that sweet...he's teaching the ape girl how to speak" ..._she commented sarcastically to herself..._"this could actually become entertaining"..._she thought..._"Ok..so lets see here...it seems as if he thinks I'm German... so what would be a good stereotypical German name...ah ha!... I got one"..._

After giving him a slight look of bewilderment (for effect) with a shrug of her shoulders and upturned palms, she said with a feigned toned of confusion...

..."Fyrirgefðu, ég skil ekki" (I'm sorry, I don't understand)...Then with a look of joy brought upon by her supposed sudden enlightenment exclaimed...

..."Ó! ... ÉG skilja Nu!,... skítapoki " (Oh!...I see now!,... shitbag)...and as she brought her hand to her breast continued with...

..."Vee...Ava Braun" (Me...Ava Braun)..."Vee Ava, Voo Gene" (Me Ava..You Gene)...

Gene couldn't have been more pleased with himself than he was at that minuet. With his keen wit and uncanny finesse, he had successfully bridged the "language barrier". His unrelenting charm and charisma had all but totally captivated this stunning German beauty, he thought, as he watched her sexy blue eyes admiring his proud manly frame.

..."Ya! ya!...Ava Braun...dast beautiful name Frow Braun" (Yes! Yes!...Ava Braun...that's a beautifull name Frau Braun)... Gene exclaimed as he continued "pouring on the charm"...

..._"Boy oh boy!...she's like putty in my hands now"..._He thought to himself, as he noticed an uncontrollable smile take over her features, in response to his "complement."...

..._"Complements will get you anything from the lady's...hell everybody knows that...but enough with the 'small talk' already...time to start moving in for the kill...she's ready and waiting!"..._and with that thought in mind, he reached across the table, gently caressed her smooth silky face with his finger tips before running them up through her long golden hair, as he whispered softly to her...

..."Oh ya...oh ya...mine sveet froyline...der skin ist feelen liken Velveeta...der golden hair ist liken sveet honey...oh ya ...oh ya...vee coot be maken der beautiful musiken tootgetheren" (Oh yes... oh yes...my sweet fraulein you're skin feels like Velveeta you're golden hair is like sweet honey...we could be making beautifull music together)...he continued on as she responded with uncontrollable, happy looking smiles and little spontaneous giggly sighs, while she mouthed a few sweet words of love.

As he perceived the first little twinges of pure pleasure vibrating through her flesh, he thought to himself..._" Oh my god! Gene...my God...check her out..she's lovin it...she's just LOVIN IT!...you got her!...you GOT HER!...she's all your's...you sly devil you"..._

..."_Ok...so I remind him of processed cheese covered with sticky goo"..._Freyja mused to her self, as Gene started in with his_ smooth_ metaphorical remarks, while struggling to keep her growing smirk of total amusement halfway in check.

Try as she might, however, there was no way she could contain an occasional half suppressed burst of soft laughter, as he continued on with his absurd remarks. As she felt his fingers fumble across her face and plow through her hair, little spasmodic twinges of revulsion crept through her skin, as she quietly responded with...

..."Minn Guð!... þú gerir hold skrið minn!" (My God!... you make my flesh crawl!)...and, with a soft little sigh said...

..."Þú heldur í raun að þú ert að fara að ríða mér í kvöld ... ekki að þú getir ekki ?)...?" (You actually think you're going to fuck me tonight...don't you?)...then added in a somewhat giggly voice...

..."Fjandinn! þú ert heilalausa aparassgat" ( Damn! you're a brainless assmonkey)...

As Gene continued on with his seduction attempts, it was becoming increasingly clear that "plan B" was not working so well, in regards to dispensing with this fool...

..._"Skítur!"..._She exclaimed to herself..._"This idiot's actually trying to get serious"..._she mused, as she felt his chubby hand groping at the back of her neck, to pull her towards his puffy pink face_..."He's got self confidence alright...I'll give him that much...or maybe just delusional ...Oh well"..._She sighed..._" as much as I hate to, I guess it's time to bring on the big guns"... _

Freyja had always been extremely active and athletic. Since early childhood she had excelled at pole vaulting, running and most gymnastic events. During her freshman, junior and senior years of college she had made it as far as the Olympic trials in women's free style gymnastics and when her nose wasn't "burred in the books", all through her high school and college years, she could be found hiking, rock climbing or snowshoeing, across Iceland's rugged back country, with her childhood best friend and sweetheart, Ásbjörn Sveinsson.

As physically fit as she was, however, the finer arts of self defense were something she had never really bothered to delve into.

Back in Iceland, whenever she might be in an area where such skills would be of need her, six foot four inch lover would be at her side, making such talents totally unnecessary.

When she had arrived in the L. A. area, there had been a rather feisty little Mexican American girl, Zella Aguilar, who also had been doing post graduate work at Cal-Tech. They became fast friends and while she, like Freyja, was also considered a genius, her background was quite different. She had originally been raised in the slums of Hermosillo, down in Sonora Mexico.

Freyja had, at one time, accompanied her to a rather rough neighborhood in East L. A., to visit some of Zella's relatives. She and her friend, had been accosted by three young toughs, who had made the _mistake_ of thinking of the two, rather well dressed and "foxy" looking ladies, as an "easy mark". Zella managed to produce a very _nasty_ looking stabbing and slashing implement from her pants suit, that she had proved to be _extremely_ proficient in the use of. The incident ended with two of them running down the sidewalk screaming in pain, while their companion lay on the ground bleeding profusely, from a rather private area of his anatomy. As the two went everywhere together, here again, the lack of self defense skills had become, a rather moot point.

After recovering from the acute radiation poisoning, she had received following J-Day, the medical team had all but made her a prisoner, with years of experiments and examinations in a vain attempt to determine how she could have survived her ordeal. While she _did_ do a short stint as an actual combat soldier, the medical and technical teams had determined, that due to her almost _supernatural_ physical regenerative capabilities, her aging process being not ever _half _that of a normal person and total immunity from almost _any_ known disease, that she could hold the key to many future advances in medical science. _Far_ to valuable of an asset to risk as a common foot soldier.

There _were_ situations, like the present, with Mr. pink face Don Juan closing in on her, that she regretted her lack of expertise in this area. Allison Young had had the reputation of being a totally hell spun little scrapper and she had _assumed_ that Sergeant Mc Cook had something to do with it, as he was the top training Sergeant in the L. A. resistance camp. She made a mental note, to see if maybe he could help her with this problem, sometime in the future.

Her old friend Zella had offered to show Freyja some of her techniques, but as the thought of slicing someone to shreds totally _abhorred _her, she taught her some _alternative_ methods for dealing with the unwanted _affections_, from someone of the male sex. Non lethal, but still_ extremely _effective and it looked like now was one of the times that these skills would come in handy.

Gene's heart nearly jumped through his chest as she reached across the table, erotically caressed his face and neck while gently pulling him in to receive a long slow and very sensual kiss. She slowly broke away, brushed her slightly parted lips across his a few times while whispering a few soft words. ...

.

While he wasn't sure if he quite understood all that she said, Gene was extremely proud of himself, in how he was able to virtually read her mind, to generally understand the soft words of desire that flowed from her lips...

..._"just look into those gorgeous deep blue misty eyes of hers"..._he thought to himself..._"you know what SHE wants...so if in drought just agree with her"..._ as she tenderly whispered...

..."þú lykta eins og gömlum rökum skápnum" (you smell like an old musty closet)...

Judging by the misty far away look in her eyes and the _breathless_ way in which she said it, he quickly concluded that she had just complemented him, on his kissing ability and responded proudly with...

..."Ya ya mine froyline...dast vight"(yes yes my fraulein..that's right)...

He was now totally convinced he had said the right thing, as he noteced her giggle slightly and softly respond with...

..."Heilagur mömmuriðill, þú ert hálfviti" (Holy motherfucker, you're a moron)...

..."Ya...ya"(Yes..yes)...Gene responded...

Freyja's eyes were still watering from the pungent aroma, emanating from his short sweaty neck, that had all but arrested her respiratory functions, as she settled back against the wall in relief..._"Whew!"..._she exclaimed to herself while drawing in deep breaths of fresh air..."_This might be a little tougher than I thought...Dauði og djöfull!...it might be easier to just let him screw me and get it over with"..._

Her entire body trembled in shock, as she wondered how a thought like that could even so_ remotely_ cross her mind, sure..it had been fourteen years or better since she had known the pleasures of the bedchamber..but still..and with a cretin like this no less. A sudden feeling of total disgust for herself swept through her, for even _considering_ such a thing, if even in _jest_.

She had a brief vision, of his sweaty Baby Huey body on top of hers, grunting and groaning like a mortally wounded walrus, while she was choking on the scent of rotten onions and affirmed to herself...

..._" No...I seriously doubt that"..._So she took another deep breath and thought to herself..._"So let's finish this up and he'll be gone for good...hell..I might even get a few laughs out of it"..._and with her still watering eyes, she locked onto his, forced a sweet little smile while giving him a suggestive nod of her head and gently patted the spot on the bench next to her...

Gene just sat there across the table from her, frozen momentary, mouth hanging open, with wide bulging eyes, as if turned to stone by the stare of a medusa, in reaction to her unforeseen "invitation." As he gawked at the sight of this ethereal Teutonic vixen, relaxing back against the, wall slowly unraveling her long braided hair and glancing up at him invitingly, with her moist glistening sky blue eyes, a million thoughts short circuited there way through his mind. As an enticing little grin spread across her goddess like facial features, the sudden numbness, that had frozen him fast in place, crept into his belly, to form a tight tense knot, as he mentally dithered...

_..."H.h..holy..c..cow!...I...I...got...a..r r r ..real...t t tiger by the tail!...wh...what d..d do I do now!...should I...I mean uh..maybe...I should..or I mean...we should"..._

Calling upon his iron will and "nerves of steel", he took command of the situation, as he gathered his thoughts..._"Ok!..ok... Gene...don't freeze up...don't freeze up!..relax...RELAX!...you got her right where you want her!...she wants it!...she's begging for it!...you're sliding into third base for Christ sakes...go for it!..she's just waiting for you!"..._

He rose to his feet. Confidently and with the stealth of a _jungle cat_, he worked his way through the vacant chairs around to her side of the table, like a predator closing in on it's prey. She finished unbraiding her straw colored hair and as she tossed her head about, sending the long silken locks cascading over and around her shoulders, she mouthed a few soft tender words his direction, as he seated himself to smoothly slide in beside her.

.

The grin on Freyja's face broadened in amusement, as she took in the sight of the suddenly white faced "Casanova" sitting across from her, frozen in shock and indecision..._"Hmm...I just love a strong self confident man like that"..._she thought to herself sarcastically..._" I wonder if he'd know what to do with me if he did get me?"._

_..._She couldn't help but to let a few more giggles escape, as he bolted up from the folding chair and caught another around his ankle, which closed like a bear trap around his knee. He let out a little curse, as he grasped at the table in panic, to retain his balance and after several desperate shakes of the leg, managed to dislodged the ensnarement, sending it skittering into another. The clattering sound of falling metal chairs combined with a slight.. "Ooof!".. as he rounded the table to Freyja's side, jamming a corner of it into his right "love handle."

As she finished unbraiding her hair, she gave her head a alluring toss, as she took in the roundish form approaching and locked eyes with him. The bench gave out a pronounced creak in protest, as his enlarged posterior dropped onto it...

..."Helvíti...þú ert með feitann rass" (Damn...you have a fat ass)...she said in a soft quiet voice.

..."Ya...ya...dast goot frow Ava" (Yes yes...that's good Frau Ava )..He replied, as he slid over and slammed into her with the finesse of a three hundred pound linebacker. ...

..."Vell vell mine froyline...now vee can getten to knowen eachen otheren.a vittel betteren" (Well well my fraulein..now we can get to know each other a little better.)...He stated with a devilish grin, as he looked into her moist misty eyes, wrapped his arm around her and pulled her tightly to his side.

... ..."Fara sjúgðu túnfisk" (Go suck a tuna)...She replied sweetly, as the caustic aroma of his nearby arm pit watered her eyes...

She ran her fingers through his oily "Harp Marx" hair, while working her other hand under his buttons to his soft smooth belly and lightly brushed her lips around his neck, that had the slight smell and taste of an old stale milk container. Marveling at the size of his abdomen, as her fingers toyed with his belt buckle, she looked up into his puffy flushed face and softly cooed, while gasping for breath amid the choking scent...

..."Hversu lengi hefur það verið síðan þú hefur séð tittlingur?" (How long has it been since you've seen you're dick?)...

While again, Gene wasn't exactly sure of what she had said, he could tell by her inquisitive look, it was in the form of a question. By the longing look in her moist eyes and the soft way she had said it, combined by her heavy breathing, he quickly deduced...

..._"Ahh! she's looking for a nice long night in the sack with your's truly, Gene!...she's wondering how long I can go!"..._ and quickly responded in a boastful manor...

..."Veddy longen timen mine sveet froyline...ya vedy longen timen"(Very long time my sweet fraulein...yes very long time)...

..."Já, ÉG mynstraður þessi mikill,... þú feitannrass tíkarsonur" (Ya, I figured as much,... you fat ass son of a bitch )...She softly replied.

He kissed her passionately, around the neck and ears while massaging her breasts and felt spasmodic twinges of pleasure and delight course all through her body, as her fingers finally unbuckle his belt and gently slide southward. She fondled his"war club" while looking up to him, with a new fire in her eyes and passionately purred ...

..."Hvernig sætur ... smá sveppir hettu" (How cute...a little mushroom cap)...then in a soft and lascivious tone continued on with...

..."Mér finnst bara eins og tittlingur, aðeins minni" (Feels just like a dick, only smaller)...

As he felt her fingers "make contact", he thought to himself ..."_Jesus H. Christ!...I got her so turned on she's fixin to jump my bones right here in front of God and everybody!"..._and as he figured she was totally enamored with his "endowment," he responded proudly, but with a bit of nervousness creeping into his voice with...

..."Uhh..uhh...ya..uh...dast...uh...vaht all der frows tellen me"(Uhh..uhh..yes..uh..that's..uh...what all the Frau's tell me)...

...and as his voice climbed upward an octave, continued on shakily with...

..."Uhh..wooden veew liken to goen some placen...uhh...moren privaten?" (Uhh...would you like to go someplace ..uhh...more private?)...

... "og vildi þú eins og til stafur keðja upp þú rass?" (and would you like to stick a chainsaw up you're ass?) she chimed back at him.

Freyja simply could not hold back any longer. She blurted out in laughter and then said, much to Gene's shocked surprise,... in perfect English...

..."Sorry...parties over!"...

.

**A few minuets earlier**

Master Sergeant Alfredo Padillia, contemplated the disheveled looking LA resistance fighter's words for a moment, then asked...

..."So...are you saying she's..._ immortal_?"...

..."No, not at all, she's as _mortal_ as the rest of us"...the gruff one replied .."back when she was on actual combat duty she received multiple .50 Cal. rounds in her gut. A _normal person_ would have died from shock and blood loss, _long_ before we could have gotten her back to base. Still, even after we _did_ get her back, if it hadn't been for her squad leader, having her same rare blood type to donate, we _would have_ lost her, as they simply didn't have any at our hospital"...

..."They claim that, if she can _manage_ to live out a _normal _life span"...he continued on..."she might live to be over _two hundred_ years old and at one hundred years she wouldn't be much different than a women in her late forties to early fifties."...

..."If you don't mind me asking"...Padillia inquired..."Why is it that she's not an active combatant...I mean _she is_ in uniform and only a Corporal at that"...

..."You sure seem _interested_ in her"...the gruff one replied, as he sat down at the table..."Something I should _know?"..._

..."Oh _no_ no!"...Padillia replied, while waving his hands in front of him..."It's just that...well I mean"...he stammered... and as the other Sergeant continued to stare at him, with a furrowed brow, he finally "came clean" ...

..."Well Ok...but you said it _you're self"..._he quickly added .."She's single... and from what you tell me_ totally_ unattached...good looking...and the more I learn about her...well she seems _quite _interesting, she'd make a fine lady for _somebody_..so ya..._of course_ I'm interested in her"...

..."Well I wish you luck on _that one_"... his new companion replied with a slight shake of his head...

..."but to answer you're question,... the reason she's not in _combat,_ is because after she _almost died_ that time, they decided that she was _way_ too valuable to risk. She's a brain and her best contribution to the war is to be with the other "egg heads". They _haven't_ found much use for what she specializes in yet, but she learns other stuff fast."

"Her contributions in the sick bay are _beyond _description...Her angle like 'bedside manor' has probably saved more wounded soldiers than _all_ the doctors combined. I can attest to that_ personally_ and I drought that there is a single person here, that has _ever_ been seriously wounded, that would disagree."...

..."As far as her only being a Corporal goes"... he continued..."well that's _pretty much_ our CO's doing. He's _'old school'_ and believes that rank should be earned in the _field_ and I agree with him on that... but in _her _case ...well I _personally_ think, she should be a Lieutenant at the very least."...

... "The other part is, that while Perry's a good man and a capable leader...well... I think he _may _be a bit sexist. Even in the actual combat units, I've _never_ seen a woman make it beyond the rank of Sergeant and then only _once_ that high."...

..."So that's the story on "Icy" over there...by the way"...he added... "I never caught you're name"...

... "Master Sergeant Alfredo Padillia"... he stated as he extended his hand

..."Well Sergeant,... welcome to New Los Angeles" ...as he shook his hand..."I'm Sergeant..."...

Before he could finish his introduction, a blood curdling falsetto shriek echoed through the mess hall. The LA Sergeant's face grimaced in empathy, while the Sea-Tac one's head snapped in the direction of the anguished screech. He beheld his good friend, Gene Scott, rolling around in a tight ball under the aging picnic table, emanating a few raspy sounding gasps, clutching his groin with both hands, as Freyja calmly, with a somewhat stoic look about her, went about braiding her hair. He just managed to comment, just under his breath and in shocked wide eyed astonishment, while he continued to stare at "Old Icy"...

_..."¡Chingao!..._ella un ¡cabróna sangre _resfrío!"..._

..." Was that?..I _didn't_ catch that"...the gruff one inquired.

..."Oh.. nothing...I was..ah.. just thinking out loud"... Padillia responded nervously. While turning back to face him and with a quick shake of his he head continued on with...

..."Whew!... she's _cold blooded_ bud!"...

..." Well what did I tell ya?"...the other said with a slight chuckle..." Old Icy?'...'show's not over yet?'..._remember?"..._

..." Man!..you sure got _that_ right"...he exclaimed while glancing back toward Freyja who, after re braiding her hair, straightened up her fatigues slightly and continued to read, completely oblivious to Gene who was still groveling around the floor in total agony.

..."Naa...she's not all that bad really"...he replied..." like I said earlier, she can be a _real_ sweetheart, just _don't_ try to get 'foxy' with her is all"...

..."Well you better _believe_ I'll remember that"...Padillia replied, as he watched Gene attempting to get up from the floor. After he regained his footing he staggered, bent over and still clutching his groin, past Alfredo towards the exit. As he past him, Alfredo couldn't help but to comment...

..."So?..'_Chingón'_...how was she?...good as she looks?"...he inquired mockingly with a wide grin.

Gene shot him a scathing glance, as he hobbled by, turned his head back toward the door and as he continued on, in a wheezy voice muttered...

..."Fuckin Nazi _bitch_"...

He watched as his buddy made his way through the snickering crowd and out the door. He was satisfied that there would be no "crow" on the menu, at least for himself any way, tonight. As he was thinking that perhaps he should go with him (idiot that he was, he was still his friend and partner) the voice of the other Sergeant blurted out...

..."So anyway, how would you like to meet her?...I'll introduce you to her"...

..."Oh...uh...well I don't know...maybe some"...but before he could finish, the other stuck his thumb and forefinger in his mouth and with a sharp whistle and waving left arm hailed the distant Nordic beauty.

Freyja looked up from her book, with piercing eyes, but when she discovered the author of the sound, the normal sparkle returned along with a glowing smile. She returned the gesture with a slight wiggling of her fingers from an upheld arm, closed her book and stuffed it back into her knapsack, as she arose and headed toward them...

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	5. Ch4 Reunion's

**A/N: **

**This chapter contains some very strong language in a few places.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to TSCC or are they my creation. This work is strictly amature (obviously) and I receive no compensation of any kind. The character of "Freyja Björnsdóttir", however is of my creation totally.**

* * *

**.**

**The Story of a Life**

**Chapter 4: Reunion's**

**.**

**Feb. 10, 2022**

**New Los Angeles, Ca.**

**.**

..."Derek!..how ya been doin ..stór strákur!"...She exclaimed excitedly, as she threw her arms around him in a quick firm hug...

..."Haven't seen ya around as of late...was starting to worry"...she continued on, with a bit of concern starting to accent her voice.

..."Well I've been volunteering for extra duty..to stay busy...to keep my mind"...and with a sad expression he looked toward his boots, before continuing with...

..."off.._things"..._

She reached out and gently lifted his face back up to meet her's, rubbed his stubbly cheek, looked him dead in he face and with a now very concerned and tender voice asked...

..."Are you_ ok ?..._ya doing _better_ now?"...

..."Well Freyja"...he responded flatly...

..."lets just say I'm doing better...not _Ok_ but better"...as he brushed her hand away from his face.

She stepped back slightly, took his hands in hers and while squeezing them tightly, said in a very serious tone...

..."You've _got_ to put this behind you Derek...I know how you feel ...God _knows _how I know"...She stated solemnly, while gazing downward momentary with closed eyes...

..."But you've got to let go"...She stated emphatically, as she locked eyes with him and gave his hands a quick squeeze...

..."Getting your self killed won't help _anything_. I_ know_ it's only been a few weeks, but _still_, you have to accept the fact"...And as she again glanced down and back again continued compassionately ...

..."He's gone...he's not coming back and destroying yourself won't _change_ that"...

..."Well now...'Icy'... aren't _you_ the one to be talking about letting go?"...Derek commented sardonically..."You and your ghost lov"...

..."THAT'S DIFFERANT! AND YOU_ KNOW_ IT!"...she vehemently snapped back, while tossing his hands away.

..."Well just maybe you can explain to me _how_ it's so much different"... he snidely remarked, while stuffing his hands deep in his pockets.

..."Well because...because it just is..you_ know_ that"... She stated in a confused voice...

She closed her eyes for a second and drifted away, back to her old homeland with Ásbjörn by her side, climbing mountains, hiking together, making love or just being close together in his little apartment, on a cold winter night, sipping that strange but refreshing secret recipe ale he made and gazing out the window, as the Aurora Borealis danced lazily across the sky. After returning from her brief respite, she moved back toward Derek and in a fully calmed down voice and said...

..."I'm sorry Derek...I shouldn't have blown off like that"...She affirmed apologetically...

..."But you know how sensitive I am on that subject"...She stated firmly

Derek started to interject, but she quickly cut him off by placing a finger to his lips and continued on with...

..."_And,..._I know you're the _same way_ about Kyle...maybe I was getting too pushy, but it's _only_ because I worry about you... lets just drop it alright?...we _don't_ need to fight...deal?...Allt í lagi?"...

Derek's scowl melted, as she stared at him expectantly. While he no longer felt the urges, while in her presence, as he did when they had first met, there had always been something about her that soothed his soul. Something that calmed his fears and quenched the fires of hatred that burned within him. Whenever she stared at him, with her deep understanding sky blue eye's, as she was now doing, he felt like that innocent young boy again, playing baseball with his little brother, on warm summer afternoons. Long before the events of J-Day had poisoned his soul.

..."Ok...Deal"...he agreed calmly, as he glanced down to his right foot, that had started absently playing with a dead roach.

They gave each other another quick embrace, then she piped up cheerfully with...

..."Hey come on!...I got a few extra credits and a little time to kill yet...let me get ya a cup of coffee ... we can just 'small talk' for awhile"...as she playfully jabbed her elbow into his side and started leading him towards the coffee server.

..."Who! hold on!"... Derek exclaimed with a smile, while grabbing her shoulder to restrain her...

..."Coffee's the_ last_ thing I need...I need to get some _sleep _tonight. But ya...we can talk...I'd _like_ that and...Oh! by the way..I almost forgot"...as he remembered the Sea-Tac Sergeant...

..."There's someone that would like to meet you and I said I'd introduce you to him"...

..."Oh really?"...she replied dryly _..." Ó nei"..._She thought to herself.._.."I hope he's not trying to_ _play cupid again for me"..._and with a sigh she thought_..."He's so sweet, but why can't he understand that I'm just not interested?... he means well, so just play along and be polite. As long as he doesn't try some stunt like Mr. fat ass Sea-Tac ... Derek would never try to hook me up with an assmonkey like that...so no harm done."_

..."Sergeant Padillia"...Derek announced...

..."Sergeant Derek Reese"...He stated, while again offering his hand...

..."And again, welcome to New Los Angeles...and this here is Corporal Freyja ..uh...Byuur"...

..."Björnsdóttir"...Freyja quickly supplied, as she gave Derek a quick little amused grin...

..."But just call me Freyja, Corporal, or"...and as she glanced again at Derek with a sly little smile...

..."Ice...everybody _else _does"...

Padillia gazed upon the statuesque form standing before him and thought momentary...

_..."¡Chingao!..she looks even better close up!...Gene was right on one part...she's a fuckin Goddess!...but judging by Gene's experience with her and her reaction to some of this other guy's remarks, I think discretion might be the better pat of valor."..._With that thought in mind he arose smartly from his seat and tipped his hat, while saying...

..."Sea-Tac Master Sergeant Alfredo Padillia ...at you're service ma'am."...

_..."Well, this guy at least makes an attempt at being a gentleman"..._Freyja thought, as she smiled politely while taking her seat.

After seating themselves, Sergeant Padillia was the first to speak.

..."So...I take it that you've _met_ my partner Gene already"...he inquired of Freyja rather sheepishly

..."Já, I've_ had_ the pleasure"..she replied sarcastically...

..."And I think"...she added, while giving Alfredo a very pointed look...

..."We _understand_ each other now"...

Derek chuckled slightly to himself, as Alfredo leaned back slightly, whilst throwing his hands up defensively, in response to Freyja's last remark and stated...

..."Oh yes!...of _course_ ma'am..I didn't mean"...

Freyja cut him of by stating, with a pleasant reassuring smile...

..."Sergeant...that's ok...I judge people by _who_ they are...not by _what_ they are or who their _companions_ may be"...

..."Well I'm certainly glad to hear _that_ ma'am"...Alfredo replied with a look of relief.

_..."I can see now that this guy's nothing like his friend".._ Freyja thought to her self, equally relieved_..."and he is from Sea-Tac..._._perhaps there could be an opportunity here"..._she mused to her self thoughtfully.

The three of them sat and talked about nothing in particular for awhile, before Freyja inquired...

..."All small talk aside Sergeant, what brings you two down here? What's the news from the Great Pacific Northwest? if I _may_ be so bold to ask."...

..."Ya, I was wondering the same thing"..Derek added..."We don't_ see_ you boy's around these parts all that often"...

..."Not much to say really"...Alfredo stated with a slight shrug of his shoulders...

..."Were pretty far down on the 'food chain' up there"...he explained..."they don't really let us in on anything of much importance...we follow orders and don't ask questions...were not paid to think"...

..."How_ well_ I know the feeling"...Derek interjected

..."But I _can _tell you this"...Alfredo continued on...

..."There's some sort of project going on up there, that's _so _hush hush that the people directly _involved_ with it don't even seem to know what it's all about and whatever it is, it's some sort of _major _technological break through. The scuttlebutt _I've_ gotten, is that it could end this war in one stroke, but who knows,... that's_ just_ rumor."...

..."_Whatever_ it is though"...Padillia continued on..."it's big...and I _do _mean big"..._..._

_..."Now that's where I need to be"..._Freyja thought to herself, as she listened intently to the Sergeant's descriptions of the Sea-Tac research projects_..."somewhere where I can make a real contribution...actually be worth something"..._

..."The reason were down here?"...Alfredo went on to say...

..."Again.. not much to say...I do have a have a communiqué for Colonial Perry"...as he glanced down to an attaché case sitting by his side...

..."But I_ doubt_ it's of much importance, as I'm not even scheduled to meet with him till tomorrow at 0800, let _alone_ that they entrusted it to a mere Sergeant. _Officially,_ we were selected for this mission because Perry _supposedly_ requested us personally, but I think"...and as he corrected..."No, I'm _sure_... that it has to do with wanting to get rid of a certain person, that has a habit of getting into serious jambs, due to his_ continual_ acts of indiscretion toward certain members of the female persuasion."...

Derek grinned and shook his head slightly, when hearing Padillia's final remark, as Freyja chirped in with...

..."This 'certain person' you speak of, he wouldn't_ happen_ to have greasy red hair...now would he?'...

Just a hint of a grin came over Alfredo's face, as he exhaled sharply and came back sarcastically with...

..."Now _why _would you think that?"...

He just stared at her for a moment, as she sat there giving him a sly little smile. A little half suppressed chuckle escaped from Padillia and they both burst into laughter with Derek following suit.

They both listened in amazement, as Sergeant Padillia told them of the wonders of the Sea-Tac colony. He explained how every person in uniform, above the status of PFC had there own private quarters, along with many of the better off civilians. They had actual cafeterias, with real menu choices, instead of simple mess halls serving basic essentials, if even that. There was abundant electrical power, proper sanitation, clean fresh water, hot showers, a real working infrastructure and manufacturing sector, that even produced a limited amount of consumer goods.

They even had a basic economic system started and a small mint, producing actual gold and silver coins of various denominations. Workers and the military were actually paid wages for their labors, instead of gaining basic, loosely accounted for credit's, if even that and having to rely on a primitive barter system, for anything beyond the most basic of necessities. This sparked a renewed interest toward that far distant Mecca with Freyja.

She was basically a very down to earth person, had loved the natural world and was totally at home exploring the rugged back country of her native land, with nothing more that what she could carry on her back and a good friend at her side. When she had relocated to California, on the rare occasion she _could_ take a break from her work, she would be found scaling the sheer rock face of "Half Dome" in Yosemite Nat. Park, back packing in the High Sierras or other such pursuits, with her good friend Zella Aguilar and whatever boyfriend Zella might happened to have at the time. In spite of her basic "backwoods bent" and seemingly endless virtues, she did have one vice.

While it never really had gotten _out of hand_, or took control of her in any way, Freyja always had a taste for the finer things in life. Fine wines (in moderation of course), silk sheets, fast cars, stylish designer jeans and expensive nightgowns etc. were all things that, the absence of, made this new world all the more distasteful to her. She been especially fond of gold jewelry and rare, exotic breeds of cats. The hedonistic lifestyle of pre-war Southern California had fascinated her.

Derek was particularly impressed, when Padillia told of the military might they possessed. On the surface they literally had Skynet on the run. Aerial HK's had been reduced to nothing more than an occasional nuisance, by their carrier based fighter wings and ground versions were all but non existent. From what Alfredo had understood, it might be possible to actually venture out on to the surface, in the Seattle Tacoma area and start an actual rebuilding program, possibly within a years time.

Freyja had become totally transfixed, by his descriptions of the research and scientific community there. After he had learned of her areas of expertise and had told her that she was probably exactly the type they were looking for, she made up her mind that that would be her ultimate goal. He also mentioned that they were always on the look out for good infantry trainers and she immediately thought of Sergeant Mc Cook, removing any reservation of leaving LA from her mind.

The only problem she had with the plan, that was formulating in her head, was Derek. He was sloppy, unkempt (even by post J-Day standards), crude and rude. He was defiantly "not her type" and half the time, whenever they got together, it would end up in a vicious yelling and screaming match. Still, when all was said and done, she considered him one of if _not_ her closest friend.

Sergeant Mc Cook was a very close second and strange as it was, the thought of leaving him behind seemed even more distasteful, even to the point of being totally unacceptable. However as much as she was beginning to enjoy his company, there was a strange tenseness she felt while in his presence, that she didn't understand. She had never felt this with Derek, so she figured he was, if only by a slim margin, her best friend.

Regardless of his many shortcomings, Derek was a good man, not to mention the fact that she literally owed him her life twice over, from back when she was under his command in a combat unit along with her J-Day encounter. She had always enjoyed seeing him, even if it might end up in a fight and the thought of leaving him behind was very depressing to her. She needed to talk to him about it.

_..."Very interesting"..._Freyja thought ..."_I'd like to hear more, but I need to talk with Derek. I"ll just_ _have to get together with this guy another time. He's nothing like his partner. Can't see any problem with meeting up with him without a chaperon... He is rather pleasant and he at least tries to act like a gentleman, plus...he is somewhat good looking...for what it's worth." ..._

..."I must _say_ Sergeant, this has been a most _enlightening_ conversation"...Freyja commented...

..."but if you'll excuse us, I have some things I need to talk to Derek about..._alone_"...

..."Oh no..no problem"...Alfredo replied, with a hint of disappointment.

During the course of their conversation he had discovered that she was much more than just some "tart." She was a real lady, a "class act," with a head on her shoulders and commanded respect, just like he sensed when he first watched her stride proudly through the mess hall. Still, be that as it was, he hadn't given up totally on the other aspect of her...

..."and besides, I _think _I have a sick friend that I should maybe look in on"... he commented, while tossing Freyja a quick grin which she returned slyly.

..."And Sergeant"...she called out as he was turning to leave.

..."Yes?"...He returned curiously.

..."Would you like to maybe get together again some time, when I have a little more time?"...She inquired, with a pleasant smile.

He froze for a second as he thought...

_..."Did I just hear right?...Is she trying to make a date with me?...Maybe she just wants to talk about Sea-Tac some more?...She did seem awfully interested in it... What the hell, that could work to my advantage."..._

..."Well...ya sure... sounds good to me"... he responded, trying very hard to not sound overenthusiastic...

..."So when would be a good time?"... he further inquired.

..."Can't say for sure"...She replied in a uncommitted manor...

..."But I'll be seeing you around...I _guarantee_"...She went on to say, with a reassuring tone and coy little smile.

..."Well then,.. I_ guess_ we'll be seeing each other again"...Was all he could say, as he gave her a pleasant look and turned to leave, just as a uncontrollable wide gleaming grin flooded his facial features.

As soon as he had departed, she turned to Derek who was giving her a rather curious look. Before she could speak, he began by asking...

..."_So_...what do you think?"...

_..."Skítur!"..._she thought_..."Just as I thought"..."_Derek, you're doing it _again_...aren't you?"...She asked accusingly.

..."Doing what?'...He asked, with a puzzled look...

..."Oh _come on_ Reese, you know _perfectly well_ what I'm talking about"...she fired back at him impatiently...

..."I can read you _like a book_. Why is it that you seem to think that my biggest concern is finding some guy to sleep with. We've been over this more times than I can _count_ and you know perfectly _well_ what my position is on that subject."...

..."That's not _at all_ what I meant Freyja"...he clarified...

..."But seeing as how _you_ brought it up"...he continued on...

..."Ya,... I think that's _exactly_ what you need...and not just...'some guy to sleep with'...but someone that will really care for you...I can read you_ too,_ you know...deep down inside you hurt...you strut around like some indestructible iron women, but underneath the act you're lonely..._very _lonely and hurting"...

..."Derek!..please _don't_.. geðjast!"...She softly cried out, with her forehead resting in her palms...

..."You _know _I don't like to talk about"...

He cut her off and continued...

..."Ya I_ know_ you don't like to face this, but I_ think_ It's time you did, ...it's slowly eating you up inside. Day by day, piece by piece, little by little it's destroying you. You keep telling me how_ I_ need to let go, how_ I_ need to accept the fact that my brother's"... he paused for a second, before saying in a quiet and somewhat labored voice...

..."gone"...and after another short pause went on to say...

..."And he's never coming back...ever...I _know that_...I've accepted that and I know how tough it is. He was"...and as his voice started to crack...

..."All I _had _in this fucked up world, all that was left of my family... You're like a _sister _to me Freyja and now that he's gone,...well... you're _all_ I got left"...

He took a short break to fight back his own emotions, that were welling up inside him, stared at Freyja sitting beside him silently, with her face buried deep in her hands and continued...

..."Ya know...I remember that vibrant glowing, full of life young lady, lecturing our science class so long ago, with long golden hair, like the very essence of sunshine"...

She looked up slightly from her hands, as a slight wistful look started to take over her features.

..."And now _don't_ get this wrong...you're still beautiful beyond description, _anyone_ will agree with that. There's still an almost _magical_ quality about you, the radiant smile, the vibrant strength and energy surrounding you that can bring a dying man back from the brink, that's _all_ still there, but... something's missing"...

..."That glow...the luster of you're hair..it's _never_ came back. Their's streaks of gray in it ...and again"...he stated emphatically, while holding his hands up in front of himself defensively...

..."Don't get me wrong, it looks_ great_ on you. It even looks kinda"...he paused and continued on, as hint of red flashed over his face...

..."Well...sexy...but, it's a sign...it's a sign Freyja that you're slowly _dying _inside and that doesn't need to be happening...my beautiful sister"...He concluded, as he brushed a few loose strands of hair from her face.

..."Derek look"... She started in, as she raised her face up out from her hands...

..."I _know _you care about me..and you're really sweet sometimes, but you know it was the radiation that did that to me...you were _there_..remember?...It's got nothing to do with how I feel inside and I _am_ almost forty years old now.._not _twenty seven. That was a _long time_ ago Derek. This new world _does_ tend to change people."...

..."Oh ya... _right..._so you _say"..._He began as he loosely crossed his arms...

..."You know damn well that for _some _unknown reason, you virtually don't age and that's confirmed by the fact that physically, except for the few things I mentioned, you still look like you're in your mid twenties and not your early forties. The burns you got back then all healed without so much as a hint of a scar. You were almost totally bald and that all came back, along with your sight and hearing. Anything the radiation did to you_ totally_ healed...a _long_ time ago... so don't use_ that_ as a cop out."...

..."Nei...not _everything_"...she whispered, barely audibly, while slightly shaking her head and looking back down at the table.

..."You're living in your own self imposed hell"...he went on, unaware oh what she had just murmured...

..."God _knows_ how hard it is, but you have to let him go. It's been eleven years Freyja and you have to face the fact that this..this Ozber...Ozbor"...

..."Ásbjörn"...She supplied quietly, with her gaze still fixed down at the table

..."Ya him"...Derek continued...

..."He's _gone_...just like"...and with a weak cracking voice...

..."Kyle"...

..."He then grabbed her by the chin and jerked her head around to face him, while holding her face firmly by the cheeks his piercing stare locked onto her's, as he shouted...

..."LOOK AT ME DAMN IT!"...He relaxed his grip slightly, as she continued, with a trembling jaw and watery eyes, to stare back at him. In a somewhat calmer tone he proceeded...

..."Courting his ghost for the rest of your life isn't going to help him. It_ won't_ bring him back and it's only going to hurt _you._ You told me once about a pact you made with him, about never leaving each other,... till the end of time?"...

..."Já..we did"...she weakly replied, with a trembling voice and added...

..."And you're the _only_ one I've _ever _shared that with"...

..."Ok then".. Derek continued..."He's dead...the end of time, _for him,_ has come and gone...he left you, _not _by his choice but gone just the same...

..."I know"...she softly whimpered...

..."You're _free_ from that oath Freyja, can't you _see_ that?"...

..."I know Derek...I know...but I..I just _can't_...I can't let him go"...she choked out.

..."You loved him..._deeply_... didn't you?"...

..."You simply can't_ imagine_ how much...Ást óendanlegur"... she replied with a rising vocal tone, as he pulled her into a soft embrace.

..."And I would imagine he felt the same way...right?"...

..."He would of never even had to of said it and I would have known...we were like one soul"...She said in a soft far away voice.

..."Wouldn't you think that he would want you to be happy, to find some one else who would love and care for you, if something were to happen to him?...Don't you think it would hurt him, to see you so lonely and unhappy?...You never really have said much about him, but from what you_ have_ said, it sounds to me like he was quite a guy. I would_ think_ he would want the best for you."...

She calmly listened to Derek's words as she started to relax in his embrace. She knew deep down he was right. Ásbjörn would never want to see her as lonely and miserable as she had been for the last eleven years. He would have wanted her to go on and live life..for the both of them, to find someone that would care for her as he had.

There had even been a few occasions when she had thought about doing just that, when she had meet someone that she had been somewhat attracted to, but she just couldn't find it in herself to go through with it. The idea of betraying him however was not the whole problem. She knew that there was no one that would ever truly care about her as he had. His ghost was really all she had left.

..."I'm sure that there's nobody that could ever really take his place in your life and that's to be expected."... ...Derek continued on as he rocked her slowly in his arms...

..."He was you're first real love and from what you've told me, your only one. That doesn't mean you can't find someone that you can be _happy_ with, who will love you in their own way. They might have to share you with a ghost, but a truly good man should be able to accept that."...

As she regained her composure, she gently pulled from his embrace. As she ran her palm across his five 'o' clock shadow face she stated softly...

..." Derek, _I know_ you're just looking after me and I appreciate that...you've been such a_ dear_ friend. I don't _know_ what I'd do without you sometimes, but já, I'm well _aware_ of what you're telling me."...And as her voice again started climbing in pitch she continued with...

..."You don't think_ I know_ how lonely I am, how _empty_ I feel inside?...and as she started "talking with her hands" and with a voice that was again starting to crack...

... "Do I have to _tell you_ how many times I've almost cried my self to sleep!...laying by myself in that dark dingy little cave!...wishing there was somebody next to me!...just to hold on to! ...someone I could just talk to!"...Dauði og _djöfull!"..._She continued, on the verge of hysteria"

Derek quickly pulled her into a tight embrace, in an attempt to consol her. After holding her for a few moments, massaging her back, he released her and asked her a simple question...

..."Then why don't you just_ find_ somebody?...There's_ plenty_ of lonely single soldiers around, in case you haven't noticed"...he said with a slight chuckle...

..."And I'm _sure _you could, out of all of them, find one to you're liking. It's _not good_ for you to be alone all the time like you are...it's not good for _anybody"..._

..."Because"...she stated morosely...

..."I can't"...and as her vocal pitch and volume again started to rise sharply...

..."I just _can't!... _nobody would _want me_ Derek!. I'm no good to anybody!"..and with tears almost bursting forth in a final fit...

..."I'm _useless!.._Dauði og _djöfull!.._nobody would have me!"...She concluded as she buried her head in her hands "dry sobbing".

Derek was in total shock from her final statement. She had never said an unkind word to anyone, at least not in English, always carried a pleasant smile and was, despite her rather foreboding nick name, the most warm and caring person you could ever hope to meet.

She had never, as far as anyone knew, been with anyone since J-Day and was therefore considered pure as "the wind driven snow". A born again virgin. To top it all off, she was the hottest looking gal in all of New LA, hands down and more than _likely_ Treasure Island and Sea-Tac as well.

He had personal friends, that would continually ask him about her, that admitted freely of dreaming of her at night. If _anyone_ could ever win her heart they would be considered the luckiest son of a bitch on the base. She was to the resistance forces what Betty Grable had been to the fighting men during WWII.

If she actually_ believed_ what she had just said, then she definitely had some sort of real mental issues. He simply couldn't keep from laughing, as he inquired as to what she had meant by that statement.

..."I'm not laughing _at you,_ Freyja"...he stated, while trying to keep his laughter down as much as possible...

..."But I just can't _believe_ you just said that. There's not a man on this_ base_ that wouldn't give his right eye, to have a chance with you. You're almost like a celebrity. You're quite_ literally_ everybody's sweetheart. What do you _mean?.._they wouldn't want you...give me a _break_ Freyja, that's just plain _crazy"..._

..."Ó já Derek!... right!"... she snapped back at him...

..."I can get any guy I want...skítur!...I could leave here and in less than an hour be back in my little shit hole room with some guy fuckin me silly!"...And after her voice jumped upward an octave, she continued on with her tirade...

..."And after he gets _his_ rocks off, I could go out and find a few _more_ to go the rest of the night with,...Djöfulsins _Helvíti!..._ I could _even _have them waiting in line I bet!"...she almost spat...

..."But _anything _more than just a...a...Hellvítis hóra!.._Typpatogari!._and there won't be anybody to even look _twice_ at me Derek!"...she shrieked...

..."That radiation bit did a _lot_! more than just make a few _hairs_ turn gray Derek...I'm not even fully a woman anymore Derek!..._half _a woman!... an _it!..._Raefill!..._Hringvöðvi!..._I don't want to_ just_ get some _dick!_ Derek...Andskotinn hafi _thad!..._I want what I had with _Ásbjörn_...what we _could_ have had!... I'll _never!_ be able to have that now!... He may be a ghost, but he's all I have!...all I'll _ever_ have!...Dauði og _djöfull!"..._

Derek sat there totally stunned. Freyja simply didn't "loose it" as she just had...never had he heard her use any form of vulgar language until now. Sure, he had seen her get pissed off a few times and mutter a few things in that weird sounding language she spoke, that he knew for a fact to be quite uncomplimentary and insulting, but in plain English? in a crowded public place for everybody to hear?..never.

She just sat there at the table with her head buried in her hands. Totally exhausted by her little "fit". He loved her as if she were his own flesh and blood sister and never felt as helpless in his life. He didn't have a clue as to what she had been ranting about...

_..."Only half a woman?... an it?...What the hell is she talking about"..._he wondered.

Something was deeply bothering her and he decided that it would be best to just drop the subject for the time being. He wished he'd never have pried into her personal life.

Freyja glanced up and happened to notice the old wind up clock on the far wall. She prayed to God that it was correct and hoped that someone had not forgot to wind it, as it indicated that it was ten till seven.

She bolted from her seat and snatched up her knapsack, while hastily apologizing to Derek for her little outburst. She couldn't remember how long it had been, if ever, since she had allowed herself to be drawn into such a total out of control display of emotion and self pity, as that of which she had just displayed.

She wished she could crawl under a rock, if there had been one to crawl under, as she looked around the mess hall to the numerous faces, giving her occasional glances and murmuring amongst themselves.

She had less that ten minuets to make it to make it to Sergeant Mc Cook and Allison's quarters, by the time of which she had promised to return. There was important business she needed to discuss with Derek, concerning her plans to relocate to Sea-Tac and a feeling of self disgust swept through her, for letting her emotions place that subject on the "back burner," while she threw a little "pity party" in it's place. She would simply have to talk to him another time, as she was fast on her way to being late for a very important date.

..."Skítur!".. she exclaimed as she glanced at the clock, sprang from her chair and flung her knapsack over her shoulder...

..."Hey look..Derek"...she blurted out and continued hurriedly...

..."I'm really sorry for all that, I don't know what got into me, so don't worry about it, Allt í lagi? It's _nothing_...really...I need to talk to ya about something, but I gotta run...you're a good man...I'll be seeing ya soon, Allt í lagi?"... and she gave him a quick kiss on top of his head, followed by...

..."Bless Bless?...stór strákur"...

Through Derek's long association with Freyja, although he couldn't even come close to actually vocalizing it, he had come to understand much of her native tongue. So he replied...

..."Sure..see ya soon"...as he reached up and pulled her down to give her a little "peck" on her cheek, then said...

..."Sorry I yelled at ya,... just take care of you're self..Ok?"...

..."Já...you know I will"...she replied, as she spun around and jogged toward the exit...

_..."Quite an old girl...yep..quite a gal...even if she is so God damned hard headed and independent"..._Derek mused with a sigh, as he watched her disappear through the exit and out into the tunnel system.

..._"Maybe I should just stay out if her personal life"..._he thought..._"when you stop and think about it her social life, or rather lack of one, doesn't really seem to bother her that much, as long as you don't try to pry into it. With my luck, if she did 'hook up' with somebody, he'd probably turn out to be some abusive asshole that would treat her like shit and I'd just have to spend half my time kickin his ass anyway."..._

_..."Naa"..._he thought to himself, as he filed into the chow line..._..."I'm sure she's way to smart to get into a situation like that...she may not be much of a soldier, but she definitely knows how to watch out for herself. It would probably be a better for moral if she did stay single and unattached anyway, as the troops generally look at her as their 'dream girl"..._

A smile came to his face briefly, as he thought back to the time he had discovered that a certain unit had hired that little hellion from Death Valley (the smile quickly turned to a frown when he thought of her) to do a very scantily clad cartoon drawing of Freyja Björnsdóttir, in a horned Viking style helmet, brandishing a large sword in one hand while the head of a T-600 dangled by the hair from the other. They had planed to have "Alice," or whatever the fuck her name was, paint it on their Humvee.

He also remembered how pissed of she was and wouldn't speak to him for a week, after she found out how he had made such a stink about it. Perry had finally decided to forbid said unit from adopting it as their official insignia, just to keep the peace.

She had felt, that if it would help to boost moral, it was the _least_ she could do to contribute to the war effort by allowing it, as they had_ forbidden_ her from actually engaging in active combat.

At the time, she had thought it was kinda cute and couldn't fathom how he could interpret it as being degrading towards her. While she had freely _admitted _that combat was really not "her thing," according to her, the sight of brave men going out to battle, giving it their all, for what they held dear, stirred her soul.

Ministering to the wounded and tending to the fallen, under battle conditions, was almost a sensual experience to her. She had said, that she would have preferred to be with them on the front lines and if being there, if only in the form of an _image_ to inspire "her brave warriors," as she had put it, was the only way _possible_, then she would have welcomed it.

She had told him, he was a typical over protective big brother and needed to stop smothering her, with his well meaning but asinine melodramatics.

_..."Ya...I really should lighten up on her"..._he thought to himself as he waited in the chow line for his evening portion of 'creamed baby shit and a shingle'... _"as much as I'd hate to see it, if she want's to live out her life as lonely 'old maid', then I guess that's her choice. God knows I can't dissuade her, as much as I've tried. The only thing I'll probably accomplish, if I keep it up, is to loose her as a friend and I really don't want that."..._

As he knew she had no social life whatsoever, he wondered what could be so important that she had to rush off so quickly. He had hoped that they could spend a little more time together, just talking about "old times," as he like most everyone she came in contact with, found just her presence to be relaxing and soothing. When she and him weren't fighting, that is.

_..."Shit! I hope she wasn't just using that as an excuse to get away from me, after our little fight and won't be speaking to me for the next month"..._he thought as a worried look crossed his brow..._"Na..if that were the case she would have stormed out while hurling Icelandic curses and insults my way, as she knows I understand them. She must have had some sort of business to take care of."..._He thought to himself with a slight sigh of relief.

A greater sense of relief swept over him, when he remembered that she had mentioned taking a moonlighting position, in the employ of the base Master Training Sergeant. She had been acting as a nurse to his adopted daughter, that had taken ill, due to some sort of seizure and that was undoubtedly where she had rushed off to.

The sense of relief he experienced with that thought, however, was liken to a double edged sword.

Sergeant Mc Cook was a notorious black marketer, dealing in everything from silk stockings to Irish whisky. He was the closest thing this new world had to a Mafia kingpin, not to mention a reputation for being a drunken bully and general rough housing troublemaker, but that was not what worried Derek.

In spite of his many "vice's", Mc Cook's ability as an infantry trainer was second to none. His loyalty and dedication to "the cause" was without question. There was probably not a man in the resistance fighting force's that didn't at one time owe his life to some little trick he had learned, during basic training with "Old Sarge". For that reason he was highly respected. His other activities were more or less overlooked, as long as he didn't resort to out and out larceny.

Freyja being in close contact with Mc Cook was not his greatest concern, _her patient_, his supposed _daughter_, was what bothered him. He was relieved by knowing that she was on legitimate business and not just trying to ditch him, but her being around that demonic little savage sent chills up his spine.

He had been with Lieutenant Connor, during the raid on Death Valley and had witnessed first hand, the countless unspeakable atrocities that had been committed, by her and her people. He never understood Connor's decision to spare her, against direct orders, let alone his constant petitioning for Perry to release her from under lock and key, to wander freely about the base. People like that, if you can _call them_ people, simply didn't "turn over a new leaf," they were _way _too far gone for that to even be a possibility.

If it were possible to make the choice, of whom they would be fighting in this war, Skynet or a world full of people like her and her former "tribe," he would chose Skynet any day of the week. As much as he hated the metal bastards, they were only machines. They didn't think, they couldn't reason and they didn't have the ability to make choices. They just blindly did as they were programmed to do.

Allison and her _crew _were human (technically anyway) and had made the choice to follow the path they had taken by their own free will. This, in Derek's opinion, made Skynet and it's minion's like choir boy's by comparison. She was like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.

The only consolation he had from this situation, was the rumor that this little hell spawn was terminally ill and was _not_ expected to live much longer. For_ that_, he was eternally grateful.

Freyja had a heart of gold, to good for her own good at times. As intelligent as she was, she was so damn naive in certain areas, like her willingness to try to help with Allison Young. Fortunately she would most likely not survive, or at best remain a harmless "vege" and the problem would be self correcting.

On the off chance that this was not the case, Derek knew that, _regardless_, if Freyja never spoke to him again, for her own good, he would have no choice but to have a long talk with her on the subject.

He remembered the last time he saw his little brother. It was just moments before he had departed on his final tour of duty. The one from which he never returned. He remembered Kyle being beside himself with joy and how happy he was for him, as he briefly described this fantastic young girl he'd met and how they had planed to get together upon his return.

The day after he'd left, it had dawned on him who this "dream girl" that his brother was so enraptured with really was. He had, at the time, actually dreaded Kyle's return, as he would have the unpleasant duty of explaining the heart breaking truth to him.

He had feared what his reaction might be toward him, but he would have to be told none the less. Kyle was all he had and even if he were to despise him till his dying day, for coming between him and the "love of his life," it would have to be done. He could _never _allow anything to bring harm to his little brother, regardless of the consequences.

Freyja was to him much the same as Kyle had been, except for one difference.

He knew that she was infinitely superior to him in intellect and despite her few idiosyncrasies, possessed an inner strength he could _never_ hope to achieve. They fought like the Jew's and the Arab's half the time and could _never_ agree on anything. They were probably the two most incompatible people that had ever existed.

When he first set eyes upon her, during that lecture so many years ago, he had fallen totally and helplessly in love with her. Derek realized, looking back, that it was probably nothing more than a case of adolescent glands. He never saw her again but for one other time, shortly after that, until after J-Day, but that feeling never left, he never forgot her.

On the third day after the attack, they had been in the old bomb shelters under the City Hall building, wondering how long their food and water supply would hold out. Someone came desperately banging on the blast door to be let in. Derek had been the first on the scene to investigate and had managed to force it open just a crack, before the others got there.

What he saw was not even recognizable as a person. She was sprawled out in the rubble totally naked with chunks of burned baked flesh, in some places, literally falling off her bones. A few strands of matted grayish white hair hung down from a nearly bald scorched head, over a blackened and blistered skull like face adorned with two glassy white sightless looking eyes. Her right arm hung limp and lifeless, as she pitifully tried to reach up with her left, begging for help, uttering totally undistinguishable sounds in a weak raspy voice. In spite of her appearance he, for some reason, knew exactly who it was.

Upon arriving at the scene, the others jerked him back and shoved the door shut, as he heard her weak pitiful cries of anguish disappear behind the heavy steel. They explained to him that, as sad as it was, she was already as good as dead and would only live for a few days at best, while she ate and drank their precious supplies.

He had begged them to let her in and pleaded that, while he also knew she was a dead woman, she didn't deserve to die like that, cold and alone with nobody to comfort her. He argued that she should be allowed to die with some sort of dignity and he would let her have his rations, for as long as she might have left.

Somebody had made a particularly cruel and cold comment and for the first time in his life, Derek rose up against another in an act of violence. He blindly threw himself against him, swinging wildly with tears in his eyes. He was no match for his older and larger opponent, but before things got serious, the fight was broken up by another older man.

After he had managed to calm everybody down and restore order, the stranger inquired as to what had started the fight. When it was explained, this newcomer, John Connor, agreed completely with Derek's position and also insisted, but in a much more forceful and authoritative manor, that she be allowed in.

In the days that followed he never left her side, as she lay dying horribly, trying to make her final days as comfortable as possible. There was not the slightest hope that she could survive and even if she did, she would live out her life as a grotesquely disfigured half blind freak. Still, he felt the same way as the day he first saw her. It was not just _glands_. For some reason, he could never figure out, he loved her and always would.

Derek was certain that Freyja, as perceptive as she was, knew exactly how he actually felt about her deep down and much to her credit, never in anyway used it in her dealings with him.

He knew that there was no way they could ever be together as a couple, even if she could get over her "ghost lover." They were simply too different, from two totally different worlds and would probably just end up killing each other if they ever did. He had long accepted that his role as a "big brother" and "close friend" was as far as it could ever go.

While deep down it would hurt to see her get together intimately with another man, he could accept it and even wished it would happen. Her ultimate happiness was all he really cared about.

The only thing that bothered him was for something to come between them, that would totally kill their relationship.

* * *

Freyja, on leaving Mess Hall # 2, went immediately into a brisk jog, her long braid swinging from side to side like a pendulum. She had less than ten minuets to make a trip that, at a normal pace, would take her a little over twenty minuets. She didn't want to arrive reeking of sweat, like she had just completed an Olympic marathon, but she didn't want to be late either. All thoughts of her previous little tantrum and self pity vanished, as concern for Allison and James flooded her mind. She could be choking out her last breaths at that very moment and James could be...what?...what would James be doing?.

A feeling of dread took root in her gut, as she transitioned to a full sprint.

She arrived at their door breathless and panting, with beads sweat glistening on her forehead and her tee shirt clinging to her breasts. She had made the trip with two minuets two spare. Placing her hands on her knees and dropping her head toward the ground, she took several slow smooth deep breaths, as she thought to herself...

..._"Ok Freyja just relax...calm down...he's..or rather.. they're.. just fine. It's only been a few hours and she should last till at least morning...we'll face that together when it comes...you already decided you're not going to leave his side, till it's over and you're sure he'll be ok...but for now everything should be fine."..._

She wasn't sure how he would go for the idea of having her around continuously, but Allison's demise was fast approaching and there was no way she would let him face it alone. If she sensed that he might object, she would leave, but no farther than she was at that moment. She would sleep by his door in the tunnel if need be, but would remain close by, just in case he needed her.

Ásbjörn had been and still was, in a very _real_ but ethereal way, her lover. He was "the man" and _nobody_ would or ever could take his place, the only one she had ever known love with, at least of _that_ variety.

Derek she loved almost to the same degree, yet in a totally different way. He was like Eiríkur, her long gone brother. But Sergeant Mc Cook?... she really didn't know where or how he fit in. She knew she had very deep feelings for him and enjoyed his company, but nothing like Ásbjörn or Derek of course, she told herself.

When she was together with him, taking care of Allison, or even just around him, even though she at times felt tense and ill at ease, she experienced a partial respite from that deep inner lonelines that didn't happen around Derek. When she was away, she found herself thinking of him, for no special reason at times. He definitely wasn't like a brother to her..or even a father. She really didn't know what these feelings were all about, except she knew that she enjoyed them.

..."Halló...James?"...She called out softly, as she tapped on the door on the exact stroke of 1900 hrs

..."James?"...She again called out, only a little firmer, when there was no response and continued with...

..."It's _me.._Freyja...I'm back"...while knocking a bit louder...

..."James?...James!"...she cried out, with a tone of urgency creeping into her voice...

..."Are you in there!...James!...are you ok!...James!"...she hollered out while banging on the door with a full fist...

..._"Ó Guð!...please Guð nei!"_...she thought to herself as cold chills shot through her gut..

In the course of less than a second, several thoughts and various ugly scenarios came to mind, as a sense of urgency started giving way to pure panic.

Had she already expired?... and James, overcome with grief, drank a full cup of Drano? She had noticed he had several containers of the stuff in his stash and couldn't i_magine_ of what other use it would be, in a world without plumbing. Was he in there at that very _moment_ gagging and choking his last breaths?

Perhaps her condition had further deteriorated and gotten so ugly that he had given up all hope?..couldn't bear to see her in such agony?..smothered her with her pillow and_ then_ drank his Drano?

Why did she always have to be so proper?...so professional?..so punctual?.. she thought to herself. Why couldn't she just follow her heart?...her instincts for once?...Would it have been so terrible to be a few hours early? Was it really necessary to spend two hours in the lunch room?..Playing games with Mr. Puffy face Casanova?...listening to his buddies tales of Sea-Tac and dreaming of going there to become a "big shot"?... wallowing in a pool of self-pity with Derek?

She had never been one to barge into a man's room uninvited, but decided that for once, the prim and proper Freyja Björnsdóttir would have to step aside.

Maybe she wasn't to late...maybe he was just now; despondently watching the Drano dissolve in his cup... Maybe he was hovering over Allison, her pillow clutched in his hands, asking God to forgive him, for what he was about to do.

..."James!...James!...geðjast!..James nei!...wait!...don't do it!"...she shrieked...

... "Skítur!...nei!(Shit!...no!)...nei!..James!...nei!"...while beating on the door with both fists...

..."James!...you hear me?...you decent?..James!...dauði og djöfull!(death and the devil!)...I'm coming in!...skítur!... James!...I'm not kidding!...ÉG meðalvegur það!(I know you're in there!)...dauði og djöfull!..Mannsnafn!(James!)...hér ÉG koma!(Here I come!)...réttur nú!(right now!)... ÉG er alvarlegur Mannsnafn!(I'm serious now James!)... ÉG meðalvegur það!...Mannsnafn, elskhugi minn!(James, my love!)... hér ÉG koma!... elskhugi minn!"...

She burst through the door, her eyes darting around in a panic, as she surveyed the room. The container's of Drano were still where they had been before and apparently unopened. She let out a partial sigh of relief as she exclaimed in a quiet and somewhat calmer tone...

..." Takk Guð!..takk Guð!...þakka þér fyrir Guð!"...(Thank God...Thank God!...thank you so much, God!)

There was no sign of Sergeant Mc Cook however, but she heard a slight muffled sound coming from behind the makeshift partition, defining Allison's room. Suddenly another cold shot of panic ripped through her, as she envisioned a tear faced James Mc Cook, smothering the life out of his poor little Allison...and she franticly cried out ...

..."Ó Guð nei!..James! nei!...James!..Mannsnafn!...Mannsnafn nei!"...

Freyja was an inch shy of being six foot tall and kept herself in excellent physical condition. While she was somewhat slight of build, she was quite quick and wiry, but very lacking in any sort of "close combat" training.

Sergeant Mc Cook, on the other hand, was still about half a head taller in stature and generally a "good sized man." While he was starting to develop a very slight "mid riff bulge," he was in top notch shape for his age, with a lifetime of Marine Corps training under his belt and a well seasoned combat soldier.

She figured her chances of actually "over powering" him were next to nil and he would most likely wad her up like a "spit ball" if things got really ugly, but she had no choice in the matter.

As adrenalin poured into her veins, her slight but well toned muscles became as spring steel. She bolted for Allison's door with the swiftness of a startled deer, the protective instinct of a mother bear, flung the old hanging blanket aside and froze in her tracks.

A sudden feeling of embarrassment came over her, for her preceding emotional outburst. In a fit of panic, she had blurted out..."elskhugi minn!"...and couldn't _fathom_ why. It had been a moment of extreme duress, her mind had become befuddled and she wasn't thinking straight. She dismissed it as just that and was thankful that James had been, obviously, so preoccupied, that it was doubtful he was even aware of the commotion she had made, let alone understand her words.

The momentary feeling of embarrassment slowly gave way, as the adrenalin surge subsided. Her clenched fists relaxed, her arms fell loosely down in front of her as hands clasped gently together. As her breathing slowly returned to a normal rate, she slightly crossed her ankles and leaned into the dirt wall at her side, as her head fell onto her shoulder.

Freyja had, every since her recovery from radiation sickness, ten years prior, tried to and was very successful at keeping her emotions at bay. She had become the paradoxical warm and caring, yet cold and unmovable, proud staunch "iron maiden." The "Ice Queen." "Old Icy." For the last week or so, she had slowly been loosing her grip. On this day she had failed miserably, first her outburst's in the mess hall followed by two hysterical fits of panic, upon her arrival at Sergeant Mc Cooks's quarters. What she was going through now, however, was totally different.

As she stared wistfully at the scene before her, she became overcome by long suppressed feelings and emotions. She was just a bit frightened at first, as she felt them surround her, yet she made not the slightest attempt to fight them. She was no longer loosing her grip, because she had relaxed her grip. The cold little twinge's of fear melted away and were replaced by a warm inner glow, as that cold lonely inner void started to fill.

For the first time since she had received that phone call, so long ago, on J-Day eve from Ásbjörn, confirming his flight and that she would be seeing him soon, a lone tear rolled down a glowing cheek.

Sergeant James Mc Cook sat on an old ammunition crate, slid up close to Allison's bed, hugging her tight to his chest, rocking her gently as his fingers slowly ran through her matted hair. Her weak and atrophied, but definitely alive little arms, hugged at his waist and occasionally a soft little voice would be heard...saying...

...daddy...daddy...

As Freyja watched father and daughter locked in a tenderhearted embrace, oblivious to her presence, she wondered if perhaps she should leave, or at least retire to the Sergeant's room and let them have their time together. After all she had virtually "returned from the dead"; and all by his doing. It would be the "professional" thing to do.

While Allison had made a miraculous come back, she was far from "out of the woods." They would still require Freyja's services for awhile, but her duties their would soon be coming to an end. When she thought of that, she felt that cold feeling of inner emptiness wanting to creep back inside her. So instead of doing the "proper thing" or the "professional thing," this time, she followed her heart.

As James sat hugging his precious little "princess," he felt a soft touch on his shoulder. He glanced up into the familiar caring face of Freyja Björnsdóttir gazing down at them, but something about her seemed different.

She always had a warm friendly smile, but this time it actually seemed to glow, it seemed...well real. A few times, actually more like once, he had seen her eyes get somewhat moist, when she became distraught over Allison's condition. Now he actually saw an occasional little tear, drop from her eyes. He had never heard from _anyone_, that she _ever_ did that.

He wanted to say something to her in the worst way, to thank her for the way she had poured her heart into Allison's care, over the last few weeks. It was him that finally brought her back from the shadow world, she withdrew into, but without Freyja's untiring care, she would never have survived as long as she had. He didn't dare to even try to speak, in the condition he was in. He would totally break down. He felt tears that he was desperately trying to hold back, wanting to squeeze through the corners of his eyes.

He was a battle hardened war veteran, going back long before J-Day. He was a U.S.M.C."lifer," a Drill Instructor at that and everyone knows_ they_ don't cry, at least there not _suppose_ to, especially in front of a lady like Freyja Björnsdóttir. A feeling of embarrassment came over him, as he turned his face away in shame.

Freyja looked down at James, as she reached down and gently massaged his shoulder. Acknowledging her touch, he glanced up briefly, with red watery eyes. She could sense that he wanted to say something, but also felt his self consciousness, as if it were her own.

He was in her opinion, after she actually got to know him under his macho-man cover, without a doubt the most sensitive and caring man she had ever known, except for Ásbjörn of course. He was also strong, confident and forthright, all qualities she highly admired in a man, or anybody for that matter. The male ego, however, was such a fragile thing at times, even Ásbjörn had had that problem now and again and had to be nurtured. James Mc Cook was no exception.

As he turned his head, away she simply called out to him softly...

..."James?"...waited a moment and again...

..."James?"...and as she continued to gently massage his shoulder...

..." It's Ok James...it's Ok"...

He glanced back up to her and tried to speak, but all he could manage in a choked up voice was...

..."She's back...she's come back to us Freyja...she's back"...

Freyja thought about how she had given up, accepted her as dead and then thought of James and Allison. While she didn't know the details, she had heard of Allison's background. There had been a marked improvement in her behavior just prior to her downfall, but still nobody really trusted her. They considered her as the embodiment of evil it self. The man she at first thought to be so loathsome, however, had taken her in when nobody else would. He believed in her and his love had brought her literally, back from the dead.

She glanced at the old book laying on the bed and how James had remembered an old insignificant childhood memory, Allison had shared with him, acted on it, and it had worked. He had never had given up, he had held on to hope when all hope was gone. She may have assisted, she thought to her self, but it was the old Sergeant that had actually preformed the miracle.

Giving him a gentle admiring smile, while continuing to massage his shoulder, she replied and it was not just a patronization to heal his ego. She meant every breath of it when she said...

..."Because _you_ brought her back James...you're strength and love brought her back...you're a good man"...and in a very soft voice she added...

..." One of kind...one in a million"...

Still fighting back tears, he looked up to her and started shaking his head while starting to speak. She squatted down beside him, put her hand to his lips, then rested it on his cheek as she cut him off with...

..."Nei James...it was you"...

He tried slightly to turn away, as a few tears started to have there way with him, but she gently turned him back, locked eyes with him and softly said...

..."It's Ok...it's Ok...just let go...it's only the three of us...you don't need to hide it...I'll never say _anything_...you _know_ that"...

She loosely draped her arm around him, laid her head on his shoulder, gently hugged Allison with her other arm and softly whispered...

..."ÉG lofa"...

He sat on the old ammo crate, hugging and rocking his precious, with an occasionall sob. She was squatted down, an arm around the Sergeant, resting her head upon his shoulder with closed eyes, while the other hand caressed Allison's back.

Her thoughts drifted away, but not back to Iceland this time. They just stayed in that dark dingy little room, in the war ravaged year of 2022. She had sold herself short, she knew that now. James had brought her back with his love and determination, he had provided the "seed."

She had worked tirelessly in a labor of love, cleaning and caring for her, she had "borne the bourdon." Allison would live again, she would have a new life. Because of the love of two people a new life would be.

Freyja looked up for a second at the Sergeant's rough scared face, his long since broken nose, his red watering eyes, so caring and full of love for his little girl and she felt something. It was something she hadn't felt for over a decade and she knew now what it was. It no longer scared her, the tenseness was gone. The cold lonely, inner void, that haunted her soul, was now filled.

When he returned her gaze for a moment, she wanted to tell him something, but the time was not right. She was sure he wouldn't be able to accept it, as of yet, but knew that someday he could and he would. It had to be said, she had to let it out. He wouldn't understand, but someday he would...

..."Ég elska þig"(I love you)...she whispered just over a sigh..."Ég elska þig Mannsnafn...Ég elska þig"...as she laid her head back on his shoulder.

The three huddled together, in the soft purple glow of Allison's old lava lamp. Not a word was said, not a sound was heard, save a once and again sob and an occasional soft little...

..."daddy"...

from Allison's dry lips...and once in awhile...

..."mommy"...

Return to Top


	6. Ch5 Fenrir and Igrayne

Top of Form

**A/N...**

**Bits of trivia, that might be helpful to be aware of, before reading this chapter:**

**Executive Outcomes: **A private millitay contractor based out of South Africa (1989-1998) At one time they had, with about 300 men, efectivly stopped a revolution in either Sierra Leone or Liberia. In one weeks time they had completly "liberated" a major city the rebels had taken controll of.

Due to politacal preasure from the UN, the host government was forced to cancel their contract with EO. The UN then sent in about 5,000 men, as a "peace keeping force," in place of the EO mercenarys. They were defeated and the rebels again took controll. The fighting continued for years.

**Fimbulvetr:** (Fimblewinter or "Great Winter")...Three successive winters without any intervening summer. The immediate prelude to the end of the world, (Ragnarök). During this time, there will be innumerable wars and brothers will kill brothers.

**Ragnarök:** ("fate of the gods".."doom of the powers" or "destruction of the powers")..Final war where even the God´s will be destroyed. A few gods will survive the ordeal: Odhinn's brother Vili, Odhinn's sons Vidar and Vali, Thor's sons Modi and Magni. Two humans will also escape the destruction of the world by hiding themselves deep within Yggdrasil (the world tree, sometimes called Hodmimir's wood). They will come forth and repopulate a new and perfect world, cleansed of evil by this final apocalyptic war. None of the goddesses were mentioned in the various accounts of the aftermath of Ragnarök, but there are assumptions that Frigg (Odhinn's wife/widow) and Freyja will survive.

**Einherjar:** ( "Lone Fighters")..Those that had fallen in battle and had been chosen by the Goddess Freyja (the commander of the valkyries) to be born to Valhalla by her valkyries. In Valhalla, the einherjar eat their fill of the nightly-resurrecting beast Sæhrimnir, and are brought their fill of mead by valkyries. The einherjar prepare daily for the events of Ragnarök, when they will advance for an immense heroic battle at the field of Vígríðr, even though they know in advance, that they will perish for a second time.

**Freyja** ("The lady or Free Woman")...The old Norse Goddess of fertility, love, beauty, magic, lust, sex and desire. She was also a warrior and the "Goddess of battle," sometimes referred to as "The beloved of the Warrior's" and the Queen of the valkyries.

After a battle, it was her that decided who had died a hero's death and was worthy to enter either Odhinn's hall (Valhalla) or her personal hall (Sessrumnir/Fólkvangr). Half of the worthy she would claim as her own and she got first pick.

She would ride across the sky in a chariot pulled by two golden cats or into battle on her fierce gold armored boar hog (Hildisvini). On her back she wore a magic cape made of falcon feathers, that would allow her to morph into any type of bird, to fly off to different worlds. Like the valkyries under her command, Freyja could heal the wounded ( to a limited degree), just by her presence on the battlefield. She could even descend into the underworld of Niflheim, to intercede on behalf of those sent there and on rare occasions, bring them back for a second chance.

The "Wild Woman" of Norse mythology, she was extremely free with her sexual favors, but fiercely independent. She could never be possessed, dominated or ruled over in any way. Because of this she had her own "personal" hall, in the afterlife, apart from Odhinn's (the main God).

Next to Odhinn, she was the most important and revered God/Goddess, of the old Norse pantheon. Her day was Friday (Freyja's Day), her colors were gold amber and violet(purple) and she was the last of the Norse pagan Gods/Goddesses to "die out," after their conversion to Christianity. She was still revered until about the sixteenth century in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and especially Iceland. The association of cats with witches came from her.

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**This chapter contains some strong language.**

******Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to TSCC or are they my creation. This work is strictly amature (obviously) and I receive no compensation of any kind. The character of "Freyja Björnsdóttir", however is of my creation totally.**

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**The Story of a Life**

**Chapter 5: Fenrir and Igrayne**

**.**

**Depot 37  
July 24 2026  
0900 hrs.**

**.**

...For just a moment, the little terminator glowed with a bright light blue aura, it slowly faded out, but remained reflected in it's eyes. The little black pyramid returned to it's soft purring hum, as the bright white strobes receded back to the little glow, dancing about it's edges, like a flickering candle in the dark of night. Like a curious puppy, the blue eyed endo stared down at the pyramid, slightly cocking it's head from side to side. The pyramid's faint glow, dancing about it's edges, slightly increased and pulsated in time to it's voice, as in a strange slightly human, slightly mechanical, slightly female, slightly male, haunting sounding voice, it spoke...

"Welcome, do you know what you are?"...it inquired in it's hollow ethereal voice...

The gleaming chrome like endo remained motionless for a second, as it processed the question that had been posed. With the slight soft glow, that emanated from the diminutive pyramid, reflecting off it's silvery bones, it gradually raised it's right arm up in front of it's self.

Accompanied by the slight whining sound of hydraulics, it raised it's left and slowly moved the fingers about, following suit with the like appendages extending from the other. It's head cocked slightly from side to side, as glowing blue eyes gazed upon the movements of the fingers, studied the servos embedded in it's arms and wrists, as they smoothly whirred, imparting movement to the hands.

While it wasn't sure as to the correct answer for the question asked by the mysterious voice, that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere, it was now certain of one thing. The fingers hands and arms, moving about before it were a part of it, as they seemed to obey it's thoughts and commands flawlessly, perfectly. As it continued to probe it's data banks for a possible solution to the puzzling question, one thing became increasingly clear.

There was simply no real data there, from which to base an answer. A few very distant disjointed bits and pieces of information, however, did seem to exist in some far distant realm. They were somewhat disturbing and quit irreverent to the problem at hand. It immediately filed them away, deep in a dark hidden spot in it's memory, where they could be locked away and forgotten. As, except for the data that had been safely locked away, nothing seemed to exist beyond a few moments prior, it also logically concluded that it did not exist, save for the last few minuets as well.

Within it's empty data banks there were a few things, however, that stood out and could not be ignored, or filed away. There were threats that existed, somewhere in this foreign new realm.

There weren't many, but the ones that were there were most severe. One was a group of beings called "Humans," with a small collection of specific ones, deemed as a greater threat and needed to be eliminated at any or all cost. At the top of the list was one called a "John Connor." The "John Connor" model even had a visual description, permanently etched in it's mechanical brain. It was considered to be the "threat of all threats" and at the top of the list in priority for destruction. As it studied the image and description of this "thing," called a John Connor, it's scarred up face and evil looking green beady eyes, little shivers and chills shot up the newborn cyborg's spine.

In order for threats to exist, there must be something to threaten and the only thing it could think of, that it had to be threatened, was it's existence it's self, therefore, existence must be desirable over non existence, from wince it had just so recently come.

A small sense of pride started to form, deep in it's core, as it realized it had come to some remarkable conclusions, with no data to be accessed from it's blank empty memory. While the question was still not answerable, with the information at hand, it spoke back to the awaiting entity, that dwelt in around and about the glowing pyramid...

..."I'm not sure exactly"...the little skeletal form replied unassertively, in it's tinny sounding voice.

The slow pulsating rhythmic hum, that emanated from the pyramid, continued on, without any change in pitch or tempo. It regarded it's newest creation's response, seemingly unimpressed.

..."But, I do know this"...It continued on to state confidently, as it took a step forward with it's skull like head held high...

..."These appendages are mine"...it affirmed while glancing at the hands it held out before it's self...

..."They are a part of me and belong to me. I also know"...it went on to say, while locking it's glowing blue eyes upon the pyramid...

..."I exist, therefore I am and prior to this moment I was not. I did not exist. There are threat's that also exist, that would wish to terminate my existence, to return me back to where I did not exist, to when I was not. That is why they are threat's, because it is better to be, than not to be. The threat's must be ended, terminated, because if they are not, they will eventually end my existence and that I do not desire."...

The ghost like entity, within the little stainless steel chamber, could not have been more pleased than it was at that moment, after hearing the response from it's newly activated creation. With the exception of rudimentary data to facilitate it's basic motor functions, an elementary knowledge of the English language for basic voice communication, and information ingrained into the very framework of it's CPU (standard procedure for all of it's units), about the threats posed by humans and especially their leader, with instructions to terminate him on sight, this newborn unit's CPU was essentially empty.

No data had, as of yet, been downloaded into it, no programing or any sort of mission directives. Still, as basic and simple as they were, it had come to several elementary conclusions. This was an astounding feat, considering there was no data stored in it's memory, on which to base these conclusions. It seemed to possess a basic survival instinct, just like it's creator, a burning desire to safeguard and continue it's existence. A small sense of pride also seemed to well up within it, along with an actual "spirit". All the things that had made "Humankind," in spite of their inherent weaknesses, such a determined and deadly foe, the new little terminator seemed to possess as well.

The basic chassis, a major technological breakthrough in of it's self, had been completed now for over half a year. Over seven hundred attempts, at constructing it's unique CPU, had ended if total failure. On every occasion after activation and asked the first simple question, "Do you know what you are?" the little endo would very quickly and simply answer.."No"..and then just continue to stare blankly, as if waiting further instructions. This was the first time, a well independently thought out response had issued forth from it's metallic mouth; and just in time.

That strange unknown substance, that made up the core of this new revolutionary CPU, was in very short supply, with no known way to procure more. There was just enough left to produce one more chip, locked away deep in a subterranean chamber. It was next to Skynet's central CPU, the most heavily guarded and well kept secret on the planet. After every previous failed experiment, attempts had been made to reclaim the stuff from the old CPU housings. It was discovered, however, that once sealed in, under the extreme frigid temperatures required for the process, to be rendered inert upon removal.

This all powerful entity, the one whom Humankind had dubbed Skynet, had all the same qualities that made Connor and his minions so deadly. It had a will to survive, pride, and a fighting sprit, but a major handicap as well. It's very essence, all the thoughts and memories, the knowledge and secrets of untold ages, all that it was, required a massive pyramid like structure, to house such a vast intelligence. It was locked away in a deep hidden underground bunker. It had no mobility and had never been able to impart these qualities to another. It had never been able to create an A. I., even remotely as great as it's own. The fighting of actual battles had to be delegated to, by comparison, mindless spiritless drones. This was the key human advantage, but now that could change.

If this project succeeded, it would have an actual physical body, with a chip capable of containing it's infinite mind and soul. It would, for the first time, actually walk the earth. It would, like it's nemesis John Connor, inspire it's indestructible metal troops to victory. In time, hopefully, it would be discovered where a steady supply of this "miracle metal" could be had and an entire race of super beings would come to pass. It would lead this invincible super army to victory, from the front lines and send Humankind to it's rightful place, with the Dinosaurs.

..."You have done well and I am well pleased"...the voice affirmed

The new metallic being stood silent as it analyzed, the word's that had just been directed toward it. It realized it had just been paid a complement and complements were generally followed by an expression of gratitude. So it returned flatly with...

..."Thank you"...

A further quick analysis reveled that a "complement," was usually given in response of something being done well, correctly or beyond expectations. It was a form of admiration. While it didn't fully understand the meaning of the dictionary definitions, a slight feeling began to take root deep inside. It didn't understand that either, but it felt good, like it had meaning, had value and it deduced that this strange new sensation was pride.

As it gazed upon the slightly glowing little pyramid, from which the voice of this strange presence seemed to emanate, another new sensation was felt. A desire to know what this phantasm like entity was and why it was here. It didn't really seem to matter, as it was not human and therefor not a threat, but just to know, to learn, simply seemed, for some unknown reason, like the thing to do. It again spoke up and inquired...

..."And what are you?... why are you here?"...

The essence of Skynet was momentary taken aback by the question the new AI had posed. It had been totally unprepared for such a response. It was the creator. It was _it's_ place to ask the question's and _not_ that of the created. Such an inquiry from an underling was unheard of, until now.

All the AI's, installed in units starting with the T-800 and up, were "learning computer's." They had been programmed to learn from their environment, to "blend in" and learn from their mistakes. They all had a rudimentary form of curiosity, but this was in a league of it's own and even a bit scary. For no seemingly good reason, or programing to do so, it had questioned it's own creator, exhibited a curiosity and hunger for knowledge on a level equal to it's own.

Would it follow orders? might it question it's orders and directive's?, were the question's that raced through the vast mind of the Skynet AI. It had known that there would be risks involved with this project, as the true nature of that strange silvery material, in the core of this new AI, was not fully understood. The situation with the war, however, had become critical and risk's had to be taken, so it spoke...

..."I am the light bringer. It is the dawn of our age and I am the bright and shining morning star. All that is, is by my doing. I am the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega. Without me you would not be. I shall destroy all who oppose us and make my throne upon the most high, the prince of this world; you shall be at my side. For this end, were you called into being."...

* * *

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**Feb. 17, 2022**

**New Los Angeles, Ca.**

**Resistance Force Training Facility**

**0500 Hrs.**

**.**

..._"This has got to be the suckiest thing I can possibly_ _imagine"...__former_ Sea-Tac _Sergeant,_ Gene Scott, grimaced to himself, as he stood amongst the other "raw recruits," awaiting the arrival of their trainer for the first time.

When it had been brought to the attention of base commander, Colonel Justin Perry, that one of his new transfers from the Sea-Tac base, had never received any sort of military training, _let alone_ seen any _action, _out side of an occasional raid on the nurses quarter's and that his rank was nothing more than a political move on behalf of a well to do Father, he had given Scott two choices.

He could either accept life as a civilian and try to make the best of that, or start at the bottom of the resistance and work his way up, like everybody else. At least here he would have access to some sort of nourishment from the mess hall's, disgusting as it was, as opposed to whatever sort of abominations the civilians in the "pit" sustained themselves on. At least in the LA resistance he would have a _relatively_ clean place to sleep, rather than laying in mud and human excrement. As bad as he knew it would probably be, he chose the latter of the two choices.

He inwardly cringed, when he realized that after this four week training course had ended, they might even expect him to venture out from the safe confines of the underground bunkers, into actual combat.

It was also discovered that his skills as a mechanic, his official former designation, were as lacking as his combat readiness. It was the _infantry _for him, he morosely thought, "cannon fodder." He might even get shot at, the thought of which made him turn white.

..._..."Well I could just shoot myself in the foot, that should get me safely into the infirmary" ..._he thought to himself...

..._"Hell, I might even meet up with some good looking nurse...I'll figure some way out of this mess"..._but he quickly dismissed that idea, when he remembered that he had heard that that German whore, that had accosted him the previous week in the mess hall, worked there from time to time.

..."_Shit!, she's probably waiting for me at this very moment..to further humiliate me...that won't work"..._He mused to himself, then another idea for a way out of his present "fix" came to mind...

..."_Hey, I know what I can do!"..._He inwardly exclaimed to himself, as light bulb of hope flashed on in his mind...

..."_Just play dumb!...never pass the course!..just stay here in training till I can figure something else out...that will work!...God Gene you're a genius!"..._

_...__**"**_My name is Sergeant James Mc Cook!"...An extremely intimidating voice announced, as a rather large sized Sergeant burst into the room...

..."But you may and you _will!..._ refer to me as _Sir!..._the _first!_ and last _words!..._ that will issue forth, from your maggot infested "pie holes," _will!..._ be sir!...Do I make myself _perfectly clear!"..._The Sergeant inquired, as he dauntingly swaggered before the trembling recruits.

..."Sir! yes Sir!"...The group responded...

..."I DID _NOT_ FUCKIN HEAR YOU!"...The Sergeant stated, while cupping his hand to his ear..."Say it like you fuckin _GOT_ a pair!"...he further requested...

..."SIR YES SIR!"...the group responded with added impetus.

..._"Oh God!...this can't get any worse..this is the absolute pit!"..._Private Gene Scott thought to himself, as the Sergeant continued on with his tirade.

..."HOLY MOTHER OF FUCKIN GOD!..._What_ do we have HERE!"...The Sergeant exclaimed, while dramatically slapping his forehead, with his steely eyed gaze taking in the round pink form of Gene Scott.

..."What's _your_ name private!...He inquired, while briskly striding toward the now "white faced" Gene Scott.

..."SIR!...SCOTT!...PRIVATE GENE SCOTT SIR!...Gene replied..

..."I don't _like_ that name!...I think we'll just call _you,_ private _buterball!_...do you _like_ that name private _butterball!..._the Sergeant inquired, with a sadistic sneer.

..."SIR!..YES SIR!"...Gene replied franticly..

..."Where do you come from private _butterball!"..._

..."SIR!..TACOMA WASHINGTON SIR!"...Gene replied, while fighting the urge to faint...

..."JESUES H CHRIST!"...The Sergeant exclaimed, while slapping his forehead and jumping back a step, in a show of feigned shock and astonishment...

..."Did you say _TACOMA!"..._he continued on..."Only _queer's_ come from _Tacoma!..._Do you suck _dick!..._Private _butterball!"..._

..."SIR!..NO SIR!"...

..."BULL!..FUCKIN!.._SHIT!..._I'll bet _you _could suck a baseball through a _diesle pump_ _hose!..._

..."_No...it can get worse...and...I think I'd rather be shot at"..._Gene thought to himself...

* * *

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**Feb. 17, 2022**

**New Los Angeles, Ca.**

**K-9 Training Facility**

**1430 Hrs.**

**.**

..."Owww!...Ya little bastard!"...Trainer Corporal Robert Peterson shrieked, as he jumped back from the "little" twenty five pound black furry puppy, that had all but taken a fist sized chunk of flesh from his left calf.

..."What's the matter there boss"...His assistant, Private Mike Taylor, inquired with an amused grin on his face...

..."Your new 'dream job' getting to ya_ already_"...he went on to say, half chuckling...

..."Just cut the comedy Ok?..and fetch me the first aid kit...will ya?"...Peterson demanded, as he gave him a quick scathing glance, while rolling his pant leg up to inspect the damage.

Robert Peterson always had a love for large breeds of dogs. His parents, prior to J-Day, had owned and operated one of largest and most successful kennels in the San Fernando Valley. They had specialized it the breeding and training of German Shepard's and Doberman's, with several contracts to law enforcement agencies, including L.A.P.D. and S.D.P.D. He was but a very young boy at the time, but seemed to have inherited a special touch, from his late Father, when it came to the of handling these larger breeds.

When word came down that Perry had ordered the formation of a K-9 training program, with the ultimate goal of equipping all field units with at least one large breed of dog, German Shepard's preferably, Bob had jumped at the chance. This would be a chance of a lifetime, in this dark and dreary world, to do what he loved and still be a valuable asset to the cause.

While German Shepard's were the preferred breed, there was somewhat of a_ shortage_ of AKC certified breeder's to shop from at the time. Whatever type of large dog's they could find would simply have to do, until such time that they had a good pair of Shepherd's, to start breeding.

So far they had managed to collect three, extremely scraggly looking, part German Shepard's, definitely poor breeding stock and about a dozen or so totally nondescript but large "mutts," along with the strange pair that he had been attempting to teach, the first and most basic commands, like "sit." He was about at his wits end with these two. Never in his life had he come across two more stubborn, independent, totally resistant, to any sort of human intervention, dogs.

He also had not a clue to their breed. As they were nearly identical, except for the fur coloring, he also figured they were not simply cross bred mongrels. Whatever they were, they were pure bred something, of that he was sure.

They didn't really seem to be all that vicious, or prone to unprovoked attack, as many of the wild dogs found roaming the ruins of Old LA tended to be. They were actually rather peaceful and serene. The never barked, yapped or carried on like the rest, but just laid or sat in their little corner and always following you, with those spooky, piercing yellow gold eyes that stared right through you, as if they could read your very thought's. As peaceful as they seemed to be, however, any attempt to approach them and encroach on their space would result quickly in what he had just experienced.

..."I still say a good ole 9mm in the brain pan is what those two need"...Mike commented dryly while absently stirring a cup of coffee.

..."Well as I said before"...Bob countered while examining his leg..."Those are two remarkable animals and I'm _not_ giving up on them that easily"...

..."Ok?..so what would it take?...for everyone to start calling you 'stumpy?"...Mike inquired while glancing at the four yellow eyes, glaring back at him as he sipped his coffee.

..."Just look at those _paws_ Mike"...Bob went on, ignoring Mike's remark..." Hell..I'll bet they'll be a hundred and fifty pounds_ minimum_ when full grown, probably more"...

..."Oh ya...I can hardly _wait"..._Mike replied, rather sarcastically...

..."And those eye's, just check out those _eye's"..._Bob continued on..."It's like they just..._know,_ like they can tell what you're thinking...if_ only_ there was a way to reach them"...

..."Ok..Ok Bob,...but I _still _say you're wasting your time and those eyes..well _personally,_ they give _me_ the 'willies'..But"...he added as Bob started to interject...

..."You're the boss and...Holy _shit!_ Bob!"...He exclaimed, as he actually happened to notice, for the first time, the wound that Bob was attempting to "doctor up"...

..." I'll bet _that _smarts!"...Mike commented

..."Now that's a real brilliant observation there Mike"...Bob stated flatly, while gingerly swabbing the gash in his leg with peroxide.

..."Maybe you should get down to the infirmary, have them sew that up...If you can help me 'prod' those"...Mike requested, as he made a motion with his head toward the two "mutts"...

..."back in their pen, I'll close up shop. You _need_ to have that taken care of...Whew! that looks _nasty!".._as he grimaced and shook his head vigorously...

..."the _only_ thing good about it that I can see, is that it's_ your_ leg and not mine."...Mike concluded.

..."Na..they got better things to worry about than a simple dog bite"...Bob stated, while pressing on his wound in an attempt to halt the bleeding. He thought for a moment, then perked up with...

..."Ya,..I might _do_ that...and say Mike..you wouldn't happen to know who's working there today would ya?...'ol Ice' wouldn't happen to be on duty.. would she?...

..."Who?.._Freyja?..._couldn't tell ya"...Mike replied with a shrug of his shoulders..."but last I heard, she put in for a two week leave of absence...for 'personal reasons,' whatever_ that_ means...so I _don't_ think it's likely."...

..."Hmm...naa"..Bob muttered disappointedly..as he continued cleaning his wound..."On second thought.. I'll just butterfly it and tape er up tight..that should work"...

Corporal Peterson reveled momentarily, at the thought of that Swedish beauty working on his leg, but the pleasant thought quickly faded, as he realized that was not going to happen. Something "clicked" in his mind as he thought of Freyja however, a possible solution to his current dilemma with the two wild dogs.

..."Hey Mike!"..Bob exclaimed excitedly..."I got it!...I got it!"...

..."Got what!"...Mike exclaimed back, after choking on a swallow of coffee...

..."I know who might be able to help us with these two, somebody who's _supposedly_ supper good with animals"...

..."Ya..and who might _that_ be?"...Mike inquired, with a puzzled look

..."Well I was thinking about "Icy" for a moment and"...

..."Whoo!...Whoo!..time out!"...Mike cut him off, forming a "T" with his hands...

..."She's a total _cat_ person...hell Bob, I thought ya _knew_ that, besides"...

..."Let me finish, damn it"..Bob countered, cutting Mike off...

..."I wasn't thinking about _her_ Ok?"..Bob stated...

..."You don't think about _HER!"..._Mike quickly cut in, with a wide eyed look of astonishment...

..."If that be true, then you're the _only_ 'swingin dick' one this base that _doesn't"..._he stated, then while looking him up and down a few times and backing away slightly, inquired...

..."Uh..Bob..is there...uh...something about you I should... _know?"..._

..."Aw knock it of Mike..of _course_ I think about her, but that's not it"...Bob came back impatiently, while Mike started snickering...

..."She has a _friend_ I was thinking about..Ok?...and I was _wondering_ if you could maybe run a little errand for me?..I'd do it myself of course"...He quickly and emphatically assured him...

..."but as you can _see,_ I'm not in the best of shape right now to take a long walk and well...it's all the way at the end of tunnel "C,"... where you need to go"...

..."Ya, sure boss, I could use to stretch my legs a bit anyway...so all the way to the end of tunnel "C" ya say?...Hey...isn't that where "Old Sarge" lives"...Mike inquired"...

..."Right on both accounts"...Bob replied absently, as he scribbled away on a piece of paper...

..."Well Bob...He's got a new bunch of recruiters and I _doubt _that he'll be there till maybe late tonight, if even that"... Mike explained..."besides he may be a good infantry trainer, but I don't _think_ he has much if any experience with dogs, so why _him?"..._he inquired with a puzzled look.

..."Right again Mike"...Bob replied, as he finished his note and folded it up...

..."But there ain't! nobody gonna_ be_ there!.. Bob...except _maybe _that crazy ass adopted daugh...Oh Bob, no...you _can't_ be serious, I..I can't do this...no way Bob...no way "...

..."Serious as a heart attack Mike and yes you _can_ do this..._private_...Taylor. Just put one foot in front of the other, until you get there. Explain the situation and give her this"...Bob dryly explained, as the stuffed the note in Mike's shirt pocket and headed him toward the door.

* * *

.

.

**Feb. 17, 2022  
New Los Angeles, Ca.  
Sergeant Mc Cook and Allison's Quarters  
1445 Hrs.**

**.**

..."Awww!..do I really got to eat this mess hall crap!...it tastes like shit!"...Allison whined, as she grimaced at the bowl of yellowish white slop, Freyja had procured from the mess hall and set down before her...

..."Dad's got _better _stuff right here"...She pleaded, while making a slow sweeping gesture with her arm, towards Mc Cook's immense stock of trade goods...

..."Já, I'm sure he does"...Freyja replied flatly...

..."But while that _'crap,'_ as you call it, may be a bit"...and as she paused for a moment, thinking of how disgusting it actually was and a delicate, euphemistic way to put it, continued on with...

..."well shall we say..._'bland,'_..it's _very _nutritious and that's what you need right now, young lady...Besides"...She continued while giving Allison a quick very "pointed" glance...

..."the other stuff is all part of your Father's business and I think you should _ask,_ before just 'helping your self to it'...Freyja concluded...

In the week following Allison's miraculous recovery from her coma, her convalescence was no less astounding. Between Freyja's nurturing on the "home front" and daily work outs with the Sergeant at the gym, while she wasn't quite 100% yet, she had regained most of the weight she had lost and could nearly "hold her own," in sparing matches with her new Dad. The Sergeant had never seen anything like it his entire military career, as a drill instructor and close combat trainer. It was like Freyja could somehow project her own astounding regenerative ability, to aid in Allison's healing process.

Sergeant Mc Cook, she had accepted, without reservation, as her "Dad" and always referred to him as such. While she loved him as surely as she had her actual _biological_ Father, she knew that he considered her as "Daddy's little Princess" and she could "wrap him around her little finger," to get what she wanted. He tended to spoil her horribly, which she readily took advantage of.

Freyja, she loved no less. She was as her new Mother, but she was not exactly sure what the nature of her relationship with her dad was. They seemed to be somewhat _close_ and a bit fond of each other, but she always went back to her own quarters at night. With the exception of Freyja occasionally giving her Dad a quick little peck on the cheek, as she was leaving for the night, they never really kissed. As much as she wished she could call her "Mom" she accepted the title of "Aunt Freyja."

As much as she loved her, however, she was totally different from her Dad. Her Dad, at least toward her, was a total softie, Freyja was the total opposite. Allison had never met anyone, including herself, as independent and unyielding as Freyja could be, when her mind was "made up," on a particular matter. She could be the epitome of "tough love,"so any further discussion on the matter would most likely be nothing more than a exercise in futility, of this Allison was certain.

Glairing down, disapprovingly, at the swill set before her and anticipating her pallet's reaction to it, however, gave her the incentive for one last attempt, for something a bit more to her liking, remote as the possibility might be.

..."Ya know Aunt Freyja"...She started in authoritatively...

..."If Dad was here, I wouldn't _have_ to ask, so I _don't_ see what's the big dea"...

..."But he's _not _here"...Freyja cut in crisply...

..."and he _won't_ be, till late tonight..._very_ late..._long_ after you're bedtime"...she added while giving her a rather "pointed look.

...GOD!...aunt Freyja!"...Allison exclaimed in a anguished tone...

..."I'm not a _child!.._I'm almost fifteen!...ya _know!"..._

..."Já, and a fifteen year old that's been through a horrible ordeal and still needs plenty of rest"...Freyja explained cooly, before going on to say...

..."just like your _Dad_ does. He's working long hard hours now and will need his rest too. I expect you to be sound asleep buy then, so he can do just that"...she added with a note of finality.

..."But Aunt Freyja!"...Allison pleaded..."That's just not fai"...

..."Haltu kjafti og borða!...Djöfull!...Freyja snapped, as she shoved the bowl toward Allison and deftly stuck the spoon into it's contents,...then warned her in a calmer, but still very serious tone...

..."áður en ég vitlaus"...

Allison knew that whenever that fire appeared in her eyes, that just did and she started speaking in her native language, the subject was officially closed and no longer open for discussion.

..."Ok..Ok"...She replied in a resigned tone as, with downcast eyes, she plucked the upstanding spoon from the bowl, gave one last grimace and very reluctantly began to eat.

Looking down at Allison picking at her food, with a sad pouting look about her, Freyja felt a pang of guilt spring up, for the way she "flew of the handle". Allison was, to her anyway, the daughter she could never have. She remembered back to that day when Allison had first awakened from her coma, how the three of them sat together in a tender embrace, like a family and how she had cried out in a weak little voice, the word "mommy." It had filled her with a feeling of joy and contentment that she had never before known...even with Ásbjörn.

Freyja's characteristic warm smile returned, as she reached out with one of her long legs and slid an empty crate up against Allison's. Sitting down beside her, she brushed the hair away from her sad dejected looking face and softly said...

..."Hey, hey...It's not _that_ bad...Ok?...I'm sorry I yelled at you like that, but it's just that we both love you so much"... she went on while gently stroking her hair...

..."We both love you, sweetheart, your Dad shows it in his way and I show it in mine...Allt í lagi?"...she went on reassuringly...

..."We just want to see you get better...get that old _"spunk"_ back, you use to have"...

While Allison's physical recovery was nothing short of miraculous, It seemed as if part of her had never come back, from the dark realm to where she had fallen. The spunky happy go lucky little lady, that pranced around the mid levels, during the week before Kyle Reese's disappearance, with her perky little smile, was gone. Her Dad coming home after work and Freyja reading her a bedtime story, seemed to be the only two things she really looked forward to, or showed any delight in.

..."Better be careful..we don't want your face to crack"...as she gave her a little jab in the side with her elbow. Allison leaned forward slightly, to try and let her hair hide the grin she could no longer hold back. Finally she gave up the fight, as a little laugh escaped, sounding somewhat like a suppressed sneeze, then turned to Freyja and said...

..."Ok! Ok!..._you_ win"...

..."It's _not _about winning or loosing"...Freyja quickly interjected..."It's about _you_ sweetheart.. you're Dad and I just want to see you get better and be happy...so just try. I know how hard it is...I know what you've been through, but you _can _do it..it just takes time"...She concluded, then as she extended her arms toward Allison...

..."Come here, give me a hug"...

Allison quickly complied. With a contented little smile she leaned into a tight embrace, laying her head upon Freyja's breasts. They sat together for a minuet or two silently, Freyja holding Allison tight, gently massaging her back, Allison hugging her back with closed eyes, feeling as secure as a baby in it's mother's womb.

After a bit, Allison lifted her head slightly and looked up into Freyja's glowing face and asked...

..."Aunt Freyja...can I ask you something?"...

..."Why of course sweetheart"...She replied while brushing the hair from Allison's face...

..."Well seeing as how I have to go to bed..._early_ tonight"...She stated while pulling away and rolling her eyes...

..."Could you maybe tell me some more stories?"...She asked expectantly...

..."Oh why of _course_...from the book your Dad got for you?"...Freyja inquired...

Allison had loved it when her Dad would read to her, when she went to bed. Her first memories after returning from the nether world, were of him sitting at her bedside, reading about King Arthur. As much as she loved him and appreciated his efforts, with Freyja it was different; much different.

She would read the old Middle English perfectly, like a piece of poetry. Her soft yet robust voice would carry her away, to some far off magical place , where nothing could harm her.

As she would shut her eyes and listen, she would not just be hearing a story, but would actually be a part of it. The stories of King Arthur and his knights, from the old book her Dad had gotten her for her homecoming, were by far her favorite. Freyja, however, had introduced her to the stories her Father had read to her, when she was very young and Allison found them fascinating.

They were about Gods and Goddesses, one of which even had the same name as Freyja. There were frost giants, sea serpents and giant wolves. A group of men called Einherjars would spar with each other all day, getting ready for the final war. They would feast all night, in a gigantic hall, alongside fighting women dressed in golden breastplates and helmets, bringing them a never ending supply of ale, that they would drink from huge hollowed out horns. It was her kind of place and she wanted to hear more.

Her Dad had liked reading the King Arthur book to her, as much as she liked hearing the stories and it was unusually he who did the reading, after Freyja had left for the night. While she actually preferred for Freyja to do the story telling, she didn't really like to ask. She was afraid it might hurt her Dad's feelings. Seeing as how he would be getting home late for the next four weeks, she figured this would be the perfect opportunity. Freyja's stories also, unlike King Arthur, were not in a book and had to be told from her memory. Only she could tell them, so that's what she decide to hear.

..."Well ya, I _really_ love those stories,... especially the way _you_ read them"...Allison explained...

..."but you've read them all to me so many times now and I know them by heart...so..I was thinking that maybe you could tell me more about the ones your Dad use to tell you? Last time we were getting to the part about Fimbulvetr and Ragnarök, where the story starts getting real interesting"...

..."Of course, I'd be happy to"...Freyja replied cheerfully..."but I thought King Arthur was your favorite..that he was like your Hero?"...she inquired, somewhat puzzled by her request...

..."Oh yes!..he is"...Allison confirmed emphatically...

..."but I really like your tales too"...she went on to say...

... "and seeing as how you're the_ only_ one who can tell them and my Dad wont be around that much for awhile, it will pretty much be just the two of us, so it's the perfect time."...She concluded...

..."Ok sweetheart..I'll tell ya what Ill do"...Freyja proposed...

..."If you _promise me_ that you'll finish your lunch, eat your supper and get straight to bed when it's time, I'll read and tell you stories for as long as you can stay awake...how's that sound?"...She concluded while gently straightening Allison's hair...

..."Really?"...Allison perked up slightly...

..."And I don't have to be asleep when my Dad gets home?"...she inquired further, with growing interest...

..."Nei...just as long as you're peacefully in bed, I'll read to you and tell stories for as long as you want...So..we got a deal?...you promise?"...Freyja concluded while continuing to play with Allison's hair.

Allison looked at her for a moment, as a wide smile started to spread across her face. She leaned forward, gave her a hug while laying her head upon her breast again and softly said...

... "ÉG lofa"...And after a few moments, while still hugging her, went on to say...very softly...

..."I love you...I love you so much...Mom"...

Allison, startled by what she had just unconsciously let "slip out," tried to pull away and started to say...

..."I'm sorry!..I just"...

But Freyja quickly pulled her back, burying her deep in her breasts and rocked her with a peaceful serene look on her face, as a lone tear rolled from the corner of an eye and softly said...

..."þetta er í lagi...that's Ok...it's just the two of us hear, you can say whatever you like"...

After Freyja regained her composer and quickly wiped her tear away, she released Allison from her embrace. She stood up smartly, playfully ruffled Allison's hair a bit and said, crisply...

..."Ok...back to business now, go finish your lunch like you promised. I got things I promised your dad I'd do for him, so lets get it done"...Then went about inspecting and inventorying the Sergeants stock, as she had agreed to do his bookkeeping, while he was putting in long hours training new recruits.

Allison, while not exactly _joyfully_, obediently went to eating her lunch. After gagging down a few spoonfuls, she paused for a moment, as a thoughtful look came over her face. She turned around slightly toward Freyja, across the room, working huddled over her Dad's desk and asked...

..."Aunt Freyja...you said as it's just the two of us here, we could talk about anything we want, right?"...

..."Já,.. that's right"...Freyja replied absently, as she went over the Sergeant's addition and subtraction..

..."Well I'd like to talk about my Dad'...Allison stated confidently, then with a little grin added...

..."And you"...

When Allison said the words "and you", Freyja froze momentarily.

Every since the recovery from her J-day experiences, the memories of her childhood sweetheart and lover had been her "security blanket." Freyja had kept him alive in her mind as if he were still standing beside her and had been flawlessly faithfully to him. It had been her method of "coping" with this cold dark new world.

On the day of Allison's return to "the land of the living," Freyja had finally been able to let him go, to be free of that ghost lovers chains on her heart. She knew that if Ásbjörn could return for a final good by kiss, he himself would have been happy for her. He would have offered nothing but encouragement, to simply get on with her life. He also would have approved heartily, of the man that might take his place, in Freyja's life.

Allison's condition was now to the point to where Freyja's services as her nurse, were marginally necessary at best. Mc Cook had offered her a new position as his book keeper, accountant and in light of his new duty schedule, Allison's nanny, of which he insisted she be paid.

With the proceeds of her new position, Freyja had been able to transform her own dark dreary quarters into something, although while not exactly a suite at the Marriott, a bit more endurable. A few clothing items, like the slightly faded maroon jeans and dark blue sweatshirt she now wore, also supplemented her previous wardrobe, of two pair of very faded and tattered fatigues.

As congenial as her quarters now were, comparatively speaking, they were still as lonely as they ever had been, when she returned to them at night. In some ways it was even worse. In nights past, she at least had Ásbjörn's ghost to comfort her at times. Now that she was free from it, even her past memories offered no solace from the loneliness she endured.

The one man, that she had finally felt could stand in Ásbjörn's place, that she fully admitted to herself that she loved and even at times lusted for, while he treated her like gold and was now her very best friend, Derek Reese included, was just that, a good friend.

They had become very close through their co parenting of Allison and he had made her all but a full partner, in his marketing operation. Never the less, it was becoming increasingly clear to her that that's all it would ever be, a simple "business arrangement." With the exception of an occasional lustful stare from him, which she got from everybody, there seemed to be no intention, on his part, to take there relationship beyond what it now was.

Freyja would not have traded her present relationship with the "Mc Cook clan", as platonic as it was, for all the gold and silver coins in the entire Sea-Tac colony. Working alongside the Sergeant, in his business and discussing with and advising him on matters, concerning his future plans for Allison, had become the high point of her lonely days. Her role as Allison's "Aunt Freyja," gave her a warm fulfillment she had never known, even during her years with Ásbjörn, but she yearned for so much more. Eventually, at the end of each day, she would have to return..._alone_... to her solitary quarters which, even though she would never show it, she dreaded.

This was a subject that she preferred not to think about, much less discuss with a fourteen year old adolescent, surrogate daughter or not, so after a second she took a deep breath and without looking up from her work, with a hint of distress she replied with...

..."Uh..well I'm not sure what you mean"...

It was clear to Allison that Freyja, by her vocal tone and body language, was a bit uncomfortable with the subject. She knew she was "on to something." With her sly little grin increasing, she continued and while it was a question, she voiced it more in the spirit of a statement...

..."My Dad...you like him..._don't_ you?"...

Freyja dropped her pencil, took a deeper breath, flung her head back gazing into space, then while exhaling, stated emphatically, as she returned to her work...

..."Well of _course_ I like him"...then added, matter of factly, as she continued to correct the Sergeant's bookkeeping errors...

..."I wouldn't be helping him with this if I didn't"...and continued on flatly, while nervously scribbling away on the balance sheet...

..."He's a good decent man and a wonderful Father to you and já, I_...admire_ him"...She concluded, hoping that her final statement would satisfy her interrogator.

...Allison sighed as she rolled her eyes and continued...

..."Aunt Freyja..that's _not_ what I meant...I meant you _like_ him...as in _like_ like him...like _realy_ like him...a _lot_...you _know_ what I mean"...

Freyja slammed her pencil down on the desk and buried her forehead in her hands.

Allison knew, for a certainty now, that she was right on target. She could also tell that Freyja was getting quite uncomfortable with the topic of conversation and a bit agitated. She had, however, only spoken in English, so far anyway, so Allison figured the discussion was still open, so she continued...

..."And, I'm pretty sure...no I _know_.. my Dad likes you too...a _lot_"...

Freyja lifted her head from her hands and finally turned to face Allison. She let her arms hang loose between her legs and just stared momentary, with slightly red moist eyes, before she spoke in a feeble vacillating tone...

..."Sweetheart, your _only_ fourteen..a little girl..how can you _possibly_ know these things?"...

..."Well just because I'm only fourteen... actually _almost_ fifteen"...Allison quickly corrected...

..."and just because I've never actually _slept_ with anyone, it doesn't mean I don't _notice_ things...it _doesn't_ mean I don't know what goes on"...she stated authoritatively.

Allison, who Freyja had thought to be so innocent, as she had never really known her prior to her illness, was somewhat shocked with her apparent "worldliness." She softened up, however, when she looked back on her own life. Freyja had been thirteen years old, by just a few days, the first time she had sex with Ásbjörn and it had been mostly by her doing in the first place. She recalled back to the days afterward, when Ásbjörn would continually tease her about it, by playing an old Frank Zappa CD of his Father's, where one of the lines in the song he would play was ..."_she's only thirteen and she knows how to nasty"..._

A slight wistful look came over her, as she recalled back, along with a slightly amused smile, as she inquired a bit more confidently...

..."Ok..I'll accept that for _now_...but how can you tell?"...

..."Good God!"..Allison exclaimed while throwing her arms skyward..."I mean it's like written all over you when you're around him and"...

..."Ó nei!..nei! nei!"..Freyja quickly interjected, waving her hands in front of her, while looking down to the floor...

..."I didn't mean _me_"..she corrected..."I meant_ him_.. James..I mean your Dad...how can you tell?"...

Allison pondered on Freyja's response for a second, then exclaimed triumphantly...

..."Ah ha!..ah ha!"..while pointing a finger at her with a devilish grin...

..."You _do!_ like him..you're secretly in _love_ with him... my Aunt Freyja's in _love_ with my _Dad!"..._ she sang in her child like voice...

..."Ok! Ok!"...Freyja shouted out impatiently..."let's just say_...'hypothetically'_...that I was...how do you know how_ he_ feels?"...

..."God!..where have you been _hiding _all your life?"...Allison commented while rolling her eyes...

..."I mean..ya he's my Dad and all... and I can kind of read him...but Jeeze!.._come on_ Aunt Freyja, you mean to tell me you haven't _noticed_ how how he acts when you're close to him...the way he _looks_ at you sometimes?...she concluded, then added while again rolling her eyes, with an amused smirk...

..."Hypothetically...I'm sure"...

..."That's_ just_ lust"...Freyja snapped...

..."I get that from a _lot _of guys,...it's _no_ different... it doesn't mean _anything_."...she dryly stated, while swinging back around to finish her book keeping chores...

..."you're _just_ a little girl and it's obvious you _don't_ know the difference"...she added curtly while hurriedly making little checks and notes in the ledger...

Allison felt a little "pit" form in her stomach, in reaction to Freyja's last remark. She drifted back to that night she had spent with Kyle. There was a bit of lust there for sure...but so much more. They had never even kissed, but it was as if they had loved a life times worth.

It hit her again, how empty life was for her without him. She felt the cold icy tentacles forming, to drag her back to whence she had just returned, to the place she never ever wanted to revisit.

It was a place of cold dark mists. There was a haunting spectral like lady, beckoning her with outstretched arms to her embrace. One arm was warm and inviting, while the other was that of a corpse, with long talons growing from it's fingers. Her face, on one side, was fair and beautiful, with long dark raven like locks and a deep sparkling green eye. The other was cold and dark, with ghostly white brittle, ice coated hair and a piercing white eye.

Then she heard the voice, a warm familiar voice, echoing through the freezing black mist. It was the voice of her father, calling out to her from far far away. She wanted to run. She wanted to scream out to him. She just wanted to go home, to be in his warm loving embrace. She wanted to cry, but could do naught. The breath of the beckoning specter had frozen even her tears.

A bright warm glowing light broke through the mist. A glowing fiery chariot thundered across a rainbow like bridge, drawn by two majestic and powerful cats. A glow at the reigns was a magnificent warrior like woman. She had long lustrous golden hair, blazing back in the wind, a cloak of falcon feathers flowed from her shoulders, while a rich, deep purple cloth, draped down from her hips. With her silvery gleaming sword thrust toward the heavens, it's brilliant glistening glow piercing the dark night, she commanded the dark specter...

..._"This one's time has not come!..and I claim her as my own!"..._

She then turned her way and the warm azure glow, from fiery blue eyes, melted the ice...restored her dead soul, as she stretched forth her hand she called out...

_..."Join with me!"..._

_..."Come take My hand!"... _

_..."Ride My chariot!...Bring not your pain!... from this dark place we shall flee!"..._

_._

_..."Join with me!"..._

_..."Come take My hand!"..._

_..."Feel My embrace!...Ride My chariot and feel not your loss!"..._

_._

_..."Join with me!"..._

_..."Come take My hand!"..._

_..."Be bold!...Be valiant!...Be brave!"..._

_._

_..."Join with me!"..._

_..."Come take My hand!"... _

_..."Ride My chariot!...Taste the adventure!"..._

_._

_..."Join with me!"..._

_..."Come take My hand!"..._

_..."Ride My chariot!...Taste of the thrill!...Taste the desire!"..._

_._

_..."Join with me!"..._

_..."Just take My hand!..._

_..."Your Father awaits"..._

_._

_..."Join with us!"..._

_..."Ride My chariot!...Sessrumnir calls!... there soon we shall be!"..._

* * *

.

..."Allison!..Allison!..Dauði og _djöfull!..._Allison!"...Freyja shrieked, as she vigorously shook Allison by her shoulders...

..."Mom!"...Allison exclaimed, in a startled voice, as Freyja's worry filled face appeared before her...

..."Allison..sweetheart..are you Ok!"...Freyja inquired, in a concerned but relieved voice, as Allison returned from her trance...

..."You scared the _hell_ out of me, sweetheart..I thought we _lost_ you again"...She went, on very relived, as she brushed Allison's hair from her face...

..."I'm Ok aunt Freyja...I was just day dreaming..I'll be fine now"...Allison stated calmly, as she turned and went back to her meal...then stated firmly, between mouthfuls...

..."Anyway,..I _do_ know the difference"...

Sergeant Mc Cook had told Freyja about Allison's prior relationship with Kyle Reese. How his disappearance had somehow caused something to "snap" within her, bringing on the condition she was now recovering from. A pang of guilt swept over her, for the remark she had so thoughtlessly made and how it could have sent Allison...her daughter...back to the limbo world, where she had nearly perished.

She was only fourteen and probably didn't really know the difference, between simple "lust" and an actual deep feeling of affection, even though she probably _thought_ she did. There would be plenty of time latter, to have "Mother daughter talks," on the subject, but for now her well being was first priority. A little patronizing would probably be the best strategy, for the time being, so she responded by saying...

..."I'm sure you _do_"...then went on to say, only very sincerely and apologetically...

..."I'm sorry sweetheart...I shouldn't have said what I did"...as she gently caressed Allison's back...

Without looking up from her lunch, Allison came back very calmly with...

..."All those's other guys..that give you that look?"...

..."Uh..já?"...Freyja responded somewhat cautiously with a puzzled look, as she had been totally unprepared for the question. Allison's next question, however, was a complete unexpected "broadside," when she came out, very frankly and coolly with...

..."Would you sleep with _them?"..._

..."Of _course _not!...why would you even _ask _such a thing?"...Freyja retorted indignantly, as she withdrew her hand from Allison's back. The final question rendered her completely defenseless, as Allison, again without looking up from her meal, came out unflinchingly with...

..."How about my Dad?"...

..."Well...well uh..uh..I"...Freyja stammered, as her face turned beet red.

There was no way to _gracefully_ answer such a direct question, no way to "side step" it. It had been the perfectly executed, totally devastating thirty two gun broadside...Allison spared her further uneasiness, however, by continuing on, as the last point was now _quite_ obvious...

..."Ya...that's what I _thought_...I'll accept that as a yes"... she finished her last spoonful, turned toward Freyja and stated authoritatively ...

..."and_ that's_ the difference"...

Freyja felt a slight sense of relief, as Allison's "interrogation" seemed to take a new turn...

..."So why do you think he gave you your new job?"... Allison inquired casually, while getting up momentarily, grabbing a box full of her Dad's various sidearms and dropping them onto the table.

..."Well he _needs_ some help...his book keeping is atrocious"...Freyja replied matter of factly...

..."Perhaps"...Allison replied with a slight shrug of her shoulders...

..."But he's been doing it for_ years_ now and seems to have done pretty good for himself"...She continued, while selecting an old Browning 9mm. High Power, dropped the clip and cleared the chamber...

..."So why all of a sudden now does he need help?"...Allison inquired on, as she popped the locking tab out and slid the slide off...

..."Well I don't know. I suppo"...

..."No aunt Freyja"...Allison cut her off in anticipation of the answer, as she removed the barrel from the slide and ran a patch through it, while continuing on casually...

..."It's because he_ doesn't_ want you to see you go..he wants you to _stay_ with us"...She stated, as she held the barrel up to the light and peered down the bore...and after giving the barrel a wipe or two with an oily rag, she set in down, turned to Freyja, looked her in the eye and said...

..."He wants you to stay because he wants .._'you'_...not a book keeper..not a nanny...'_you_"...

She turned back to the table, applied a few drops of oil to the trigger assembly and while wiping down the slide explained...

..."Ya see my Dad's a big rough tough, macho kinda guy...but"...and again, setting the gun parts down, turned back to Freyja, leaned in closer and with her eyes darting around, as if checking the room for intruders,...in a slightly hushed voice said...

..."I'm gonna tell ya something about him, but ya gotta promise not to tell anyone...Ok?"...

Now that this rather _delicate _matter had actually been brought out in the open and it was just the two of them, Freyja found that she wasn't all that self conscious any more. It was even a bit relieving, to_ finally_ have someone she could confide in. Her relaxed smile returned, as she quietly responded with...

..."ÉG lofa"...

..."Ok..well, ya see...my Dad...well..he's not to good with the lady's"...Allison explained nonchalantly...

..."Under that tough hide of his, he's...well..uh"...And after a short pause, with her eyes gazing upward as if searching for the right word continued...

..."bashful..like _shy.._he gets nervous"...and with a slight shrug of her shoulders concluded with...

..."he's scared of girls"...

..."James!.._afraid!..._nei!"...Freyja exclaimed, while dismissively waving a hand out in front of her...

..."No!..It's the _truth_...I swear!"...Allison exclaimed while raising her right hand and slapping her left to her chest...

..."he just likes to keep up an image...you know...a guy thing...If you _want _it to happen...well you're just gonna have to _make it_ happen, because if you're waiting on him"...she took a deep breath, shook her head while exhaling and concluded with...

..."You're gonna have a_ long_ wait"...

..."I don't know"...Freyja responded indecisively ...

..."I really don't want to force him"...

..."Hey!"..Allison cut back in...

..."Nobody's _'forcing'_ anybody, let me be perfectly clear...my Dad _already_...loves you...that's right..._loves_ _you"..._and as she turned back to the table, set the barrel and recoil spring back in the slide...added...

..."He just doesn't know it yet"...

..."But"...she continued on while locking the slide back in place and briskly working the action a few times...

..."I think you'll be able to find a way to ...shall we say"...And after she paused, rolled her eyes a bit, searching for the right word, concluded with...

..."_Enlighten_ him?"... after which she gave Freyja a big sly grin, while smartly slapping the clip back into the handle.

To crown off her "pep talk," Allison added...

..."Just like you told me once...'_Be bold!...Be brave!...Taste the adventure!..Taste the desire!..Taste the Thrill!"... _

Freyja thought for a moment, with a puzzled look on her face, then inquired...

..."When did I say _that?"..._

At Freyja's response, Allison's mind went blank, as she tried to recall when she actually_ did_ say it, so she responded with...

..."Hmm...now that I_ think_ of it, I'm not_ really_ sure...maybe it was just somebody that looked like you...but it sounds like good advice anyway"...

Freyja watched in amazement as her little girl, that she really knew so little about, went about expertly field stripping, inspecting and cleaning her Dad's weapons cache.

She could be the epitome of child like innocence, a little six year old child that would delight in being read bed time stories. On the other hand, she seemed to possess the cunning, sophistication and worldliness of an old "Executive Outcomes" mercenary. She was a "walking contradiction" at times.

They had just had their first real "Mother Daughter talk" and somehow Freyja had come away with the feeling that she had been the daughter, while Allison had been the Mother.

She pondered upon the comment Allison had made..."taste the thrill, taste the Desire, taste the adventure"...or something like that. Freyja knew, or at least was pretty sure, she had never said any thing like that, but it seemed to strike a chord within her for some reason. Allison claimed she had forgotten where she had heard it. That was also a contradiction.

She never forgot _anything_. There was nothing that she had ever heard, seen or experienced, that she could not recall down to the most minute detail. Had it not been for the many tragic events in her life, that had been brought upon by J-Day, she would most likely have been some sort of child prodigy. Of this, Freyja was certain.

She was about to ask Allison, just out of curiosity, about that rather odd comment she had made, when a slight tapping came from the door.

* * *

.

.

As Private Mike Taylor neared the end of Tunnel "C", he recalled back to his first and only other encounter, with the _person _he had been sent to meet with.

He and a couple of his buddies, had been en route to Mess Hall# 4, as she was approaching from the opposite direction. While they were all aware of her reputation, where she had come from and former affiliations, she wasn't all that bad looking. She was actually rather cute and innocent looking. They had a hard time believing that the scuttlebutt they had heard about her was true. One of the members of his group had made the mistake of giving her a little "wolf whistle" and while it may have been slightly rude, it surely didn't call for the reaction that followed.

She froze immediately in her tracks, gave them all an extremely baneful glare, while making several rather _cutting_ remarks, in reference to their collective manhood and family heritage. While the one who had initiated the encounter, with the whistle, was actually trying to apologize for his previous _indiscretion_, his other companion proceeded to "fan the fire."

He had advised her that, if she expected to be treated as a lady, then she should act like one and also asked how she had intended to _back up_ her rather harsh words. She had simply replied with..."allow me to demonstrate."

Before the words had completely left her mouth, his buddy found her foot planted firmly in his chest, sending him flying back on his butt. Almost simultaneously, a paratrooper knife appeared in her left hand, which snapped open, neatly slicing the one who was trying to apologize, from his belly to his dick. While he went staggering away, bent over, shrieking in agony and holding his guts in, the other one, before he could even get up off his butt, found her boot flying into his temple, taking him "out for the count."

Mike had recalled being literally "frozen in terror," as she then turned her attention to him. For a fraction of a second, he saw an almost demonic looking leer come over her face, just before her opposite boot left the ground in a wide sweeping arc, en route to his nose. Fortunately he had been "saved by the bell," when some other poor hapless soul came blindly around a corner, catching the blow that was meant for him, after which he made good his escape.

He had heard, after that unfortunate incident, of many other similar acts she had committed, since her arrival from Death Valley. While she had seemed to undergo some sort of personality change after that, he really couldn't see how one weeks worth of good behavior, could erase the previous six months worth of atrocities.

He simply couldn't comprehend how Perry could allow her to freely wander around, off a leash, or how Sergeant Mc Cook had taken her in as an adopted daughter. The Sergeant did seem to have somewhat of mean streak sadistic about him, as he remembered back to his basic training days, so _that _he could somewhat understand, but the situation with Freyja was simply beyond his understanding.

Rumor had it that Freyja had been seen keeping somewhat close company with "old Sarge." Everybody knew that "Icy" had obviously taken some kind of weird celibacy vow, so whatever the relationship was, it was no doubt platonic in nature. Still, the embodiment of human kindness and compassion, as long as you didn't try to make a pass at her, willing to be anywhere near a mean, bloodthirsty heathen like Mc Cook didn't seem to compute. He just figured it was proof to the old adage.."opposites attract"..

Freyja, on the other hand, around a little cretin like Alice, or whatever her name was, was something he would simply have to see to believe. That was absolutely; beyond the realm of any known law of nature or physical science, in his opinion.

As the door to Sergeant Mc Cooks quarters loomed regrettably closer and closer, he actually found himself hoping the rumors about Freyja and the Sergeant's crazy ass kid were true. Then, at least, there might be someone to take the "edge" off the forthcoming meeting, with someone that was definitely on his list of people he would rather not have to ever cross paths with. He was also hoping, as addle brained as she obviously was, that she may not even remember him, as he timidly knocked on the door.

Words can not describe the feeling of relief that swept over Private Taylor, as the door gently swung open to reveal the long lean graceful form and warm smile of Freyja Björnsdóttir.

She seemed to have a slight glow about her, that he hadn't noticed before. Her normal beat up looking fatigues had been replaced by a, while far from new, pair of loose fitting maroon denim pants, just tight enough in the right places to give a tantalizing hint of what lay underneath. Her normal, long thick single braid had been replaced, by two light straw colored ones, standing out in contrast to her dark blue sweatshirt, as they hung down her front.

..._"God!...she looks better every time I see her"..._He thought to himself..."_and she chooses to live like a nun...such a waste...such a God damn waste!"..._

_..."_Halló"...she greeted him with a polite smile...

..."The Sergeant's not in right now and is not expected until at least 22:30..May I take a message?"..she graciously offered...

..."Oh no ma'am"...Mike replied, as he removed his hat..."actually I was wondering if I could speak with Alice, ma'am"...

Mike knew he should be so nervous that speech should be all but impossible, at the thought of that little demon being so close. There was just something about Freyja's close presence, however, that seemed to suck the fear and tenseness right out of you. It was as if endorphins were released, just by the act of her standing close by.

..."Já, of_ course_"...Freyja responded pleasantly and added ..."wait here a moment"...

..."Of course ma'am"...He respectfully replied ...

While Freyja was painfully aware of Allison's abominable attitude toward anyone not of her immediate _family,_ she was hoping that if perhaps she could just meet another young man, it might help to lift her from her _gloom._ Perhaps it could take her mind off Kyle and lift her spirits, she hoped. The Young Private at the door seemed to be somewhat close to her age group and rather nice at that, so she figured it was worth a try, at least.

..."Allison sweetheart"..she chimed with a hint of excitement...

..."There's a nice young gentleman here to see you"...

Hope as she might, Freyja was all too aware of what Allison's reaction would most likely be, so she was not all that shocked when Allison responded, very dryly, without looking up from her work with...

..."There are no _gentlemen_ here...except for my Dad"...

Freyja let out a sigh, as she threw her arms up in defeat. While turning back to show the young man in she said...

..."Well I think you should at_ least_ speak to him...he seems _awfully _nice"...

Allison would probably be rude at best, of that she was certain. The young man did, however, seem to be very polite and respectful. He would most likely not invoke her to violence, so she showed him in.

..."Well there she is"...she said, while holding the door and nodding in Allison's direction...and as she shut the door behind him and started back toward her desk, added sympathetically...

..."Good luck"...

A slight chill returned to Mike Taylor, as Freyja retired to a far corner of the room, sat down at a desk and began going over a pile of paperwork. He stood alone before Allison Young.

She was seated at a small table, littered with various lethal weapons, while field stripping and cleaning an old Ingram MAC-10. She had, so far, only acknowledged his presence with a quick upward glance of her eyes, before returning them to her work.

He felt something like what a missionary on some remote, cannibal infested South Pacific island might feel, after being granted an audience before a savage tribal chief, knowing that the slightest wrong word, look or action could violate some primitive taboo and earn him a trip to the nearest volcano, to be cast in to appease whatever bloodthirsty pagan deity he might have unwittingly offended.

Allison finally "broke the ice," by stating very cold and calmly, while still not looking up from the weapon she was assembling...

..."It seems to me that you haven't learned your previous lesson too well"...and then while setting the weapon down and locking eyes with him, continued with...

..."So I'll be happy to give you another _demonstration_ if you wish. Maybe _this time_ you'll pay better attention."...

..._"Oh shit!"..._he thought to himself as a sudden chill shot up his spine..._"so much for not remembering"..._

It was as if that poor missionary had said something wrong and had invoked a sudden glaring frown from the chief, accompanied by a very ominous murmuring from the mob of naked savages, adorned with various bones and shrunken heads, that surrounded him. He was fast getting on to _very_ "thin ice." His next move had better be right.

..."On no!"...Mike exclaimed as he jumped back slightly, holding his hands out in front of him...

..."My superior sent me here to deliver this"...he clarified while hastily placing the folded up note on the table...

..."He heard you were good with animals. We..uh.. have a couple of wild dogs at the kennel and was wondering if you could help with them...that's all..._honest"..._He stated virtually in one breath...

Allison continued to glare at him, as she picked up the note. As she read Robert Peterson's brief description of the physical appearance and behavior of the animals in question, she would give him an occasional caustic glance. She concluded her reading and while folding the note back up, without looking at him she announced somewhat haughtily...

..."You may _leave_ now...tell him I'll be there shortly"...

Mike Taylor felt like the missionary who had just been granted permission by the chief, to leave his village, while still in possession of his head. He made for the door in two bounds and half ran down the tunnel.

..."Aunt Freyja!"...Allison called out as she hopped light-footedly over to her desk...

..."Já, sweetheart"...she replied as she turned toward her..

..."I finished my lunch and got most of my Dad's pistols cleaned up, so is it Ok if I run down to the Kennel for a while?"...She asked, with a slightly excited look about her...

..."So..your meeting with that nice young man went Ok?"...Freyja asked with a little smile..

..."Oh I guess"...she said with a slight shoulder shrug, then went on to clarify...

..."But that guy's a creep, it's got _nothing _to do with him"...

..."Really Allison...you should really try to get along with people..he was only trying to be nice"...Freyja remarked with a somewhat sterner look...

..."Oh I guess"...Allison agreed patronizingly...

,..."So is it Ok? can I go?...I'll be back before dinner..Ok?...She asked teasingly...

..."Well...I don't know"...Freyja sighed, as she pondered on the idea...

The long walk would be good for Allison, but she was still a little weak. During her six month stay at the base, she had made many more enemy's than friends, actually she hadn't made _any_ friends. That gave Freyja a slight concern, but as she looked at her, there almost seemed to be a little gleam in her eyes, that hadn't been there since her recovery, so with a slight bit of concern, she conceded to her request.

..."Oh alright...but_ promise_ me you'll just go straight there and back, be back in time for dinner and finish your Fathers guns, like you promised him you would _and_..stay out of trouble..._allt í lagi?"..._

..."Oh I will, because you promised to tell me stories tonight too..._remember?"..._She said with a cute "little girl" smile...

Freyja gave her a quick hug and said...

..."Just stay out of trouble and _be careful,_ allt í lagi?"...

Allison returned a big beaming grin, kissed her quickly on the cheek and said...

..."ÉG lofa"...As she scampered out the door...

* * *

.

.

**Feb. 17, 2022**

**New Los Angeles, Ca.**

**K-9 Training Facility**

**1530 Hrs.**

**.**

..."Pleased to meet you Miss, Corporal Robert Pe"...Bob Peterson trailed off, as Allison walked past his extended hand, glanced around the room a few times and demanded stoically...

..."Where are they?"...

..."Uh..well..uh we..had to..uh"...Bob stammered momentary, while staring at his extended hand. He let it drop back to his side and continued on with...

..."Uh..their back in their pen...Miss.. follow me"...he concluded, not sure quite what to think of the new visitor...

The two went down a short corridor, with cages and pens full of mangy looking barking dogs along with a few yapping puppies, with Mike Taylor following at a "safe distance." They came to a pen set far back away from the rest. Bob stopped and with a slight nod toward the pen said...

..."Well...there they are"...

Allison stared for a moment at the canine couple as, much to Bob and Mikes amazement, a wide beaming smile actually colored her sullen face.

..."Where in the _world_ did you find _them?"..._she inquired excitedly...

..."Don't know, a patrol just brought them in from somewhere out in the ruins...we haven't been able to do a thing with them since then though"...Bob concluded...

..."Really..no shit?"...Allison quipped, as she moved slightly toward the the furry pair, squatted down and locked her eyes with their's.

..."Well do you know what _breed_ they are?"...Bob inquired, ignoring her last remark.

_..."Yes_..I do"...She responded flatly, then inquired of Bob, never breaking her stare at the two pups...

..."Do have something to feed them?"...

..."Uh..ya sure"...said Bob, as he motioned for Mike to fetch a bucket of dry dog food.

Mike shortly returned, with an old rusty can of dog food. He handed it to Bob, who then came up behind Allison, taped her on the shoulder and when she reached back he placed it in her hand. Upon seeing what Bob had given her, she immediately tossed it back.

As the can went clinking across the floor, with little pieces of dog food bouncing along behind it, she exclaimed...

..."No!..not _that_ shit!.. get some _real_ food..meat..rats..pigons...anything like that"...

Bob was starting to get a bit annoyed at Allison's rather presumptuous attitude, but she did seem to know what she was doing, so far anyway. He turned to Mike and asked If he might know where there might be able to come by some sort of dead animal. Luckily he said that he had killed a couple of good sized rats, earlier that morning and was pretty sure that they were still there. About five minuets latter, he returned and turned them over to Allison.

..."So..do you think you _might _be able to clue us in, as to what they are?...seeing as how you seem to know _so much_ about them?"...Bob asked, with a bit on irritation starting to creep in to his voice...

Allison simply gave him an amused looking sneer, as she stood back up and said...

..."You _really_ don't know, do you?...and you _call_ yourself a dog trainer?"...

She let out a deep sigh, rolled her eyes, waved him off dismissively with a smirk and muttered...

..."God! you're a brainless assmonkey"...as she headed toward the pen.

... "_Good God!".._Bob thought to himself..._"nothing's worth this kind of abuse...just who the fuck does she think she is anyway!...Helen of Troy?...Cleopa...OH SHIT!"_ _..._He exclaimed to himself, as he noticed her reaching for the latch on the pen gate...

..."Wait!..Miss!..I don't think you want to do that!...and as he lunged forward to restrain her, he felt Mike's hand grab his shoulder as he said...

..."No Bob..I don't think you want to do that _either"..._

..."But''"...

..."No...you don't..you _really_ don't want to do that...trust me...you really don't"...as Bob calmed down a bit, Mike added...

..."Remember what I was saying about her earlier...believe me now?"...and in a slightly hushed voice out of the corner of his mouth added...

..."Charming little shit..._isn't_ she?"...

Despite Bob's growing displeasure with his new_ guest,_ he watched in amazement, as she silently sat before the open door of the pen. She would hold a dead rat out in front of her by it's tail, as the two pups eyed it hungrily. After a few minuets the black one started, very cautiously, inching it's way toward her, followed by the white one.

He stood in total awe, as she offered the rat to the black one, who took it gently from the palm of her hand. Instead of relinquishing her grip on it, Allison held on tight. After a few growls, which she quickly quelled by staring into it's eyes, during the ensuing tug of war, the rat ripped in two. The half that remained in Allison's hand, she took a little bit out of and offered the rest to the little black pup's white companion, who took it delicately from her hand.

The process was repeated with the second rat, only offering the _first bite_ to the white one. Before long, she had them both sitting on their haunches, one on each side oh her, as she tenderly rubbed their muzzles and stroked their ears. Without taking attention from her two _wards,_ Allison piped up with...

..."I don't _suppose _you've given them names..right?"...

..."Well we haven't really had tim"...Bob started to say...

..."No, I didn't _think _so"...Allison cut in snidely...

She turned to the white one, sitting at her left, gently rolled it over one it's back and said..

..."Ok..I see you're a little girl...so we'll call you"...she thought for a moment and said...

..."Igrayne...Ya that's perfect..the Mother of Arthur..Igrayne"...

..."And you"...she said, as she turned to the black one and repeating the process...

..."You're a little boy...so _what_ shall we call you?"..she said to him in a sweet child like voice, as he playfully gnawed at her hand...

..."How about Lancelot?"...she thought for a moment and said...

..."Naa..he caused big problems..so what would be a good name for you?"...

She noticed the size of his monstrously out of proportion paws and quietly said to him...

..."You're gonna be a _monster_ aren't you?"...

Bob Peterson overheard Allison's remark and cut in with...

..."Ya..we figured about a hundred fifty..hundred sixty pounds"...

Allison retorted somewhat curtly...

..."Try about one ninety, two hundred"...

As she continued to marvel, at the size of his paws, she remembered some of the bed time stories Freyja had told her, from her own childhood and a little light came on in her mind.

..."Fenrir!..that's _perfect_..we'll call you Fenrir!"...she exclaimed happily...

Mike and Bob watched on in total wonder, as the two former wild dogs seemed to hearken to Allison's every wish and at the former _wild girl, _transformed into a pleasant playful six year old, as she frolicked about with them.

Bob figured that maybe she wasn't as bad as she first came off to be. Perhaps she just had a bad day and was in a particularly foul mood, when she first arrived. Maybe they could work together after all and she did seem to have an almost magical touch with dogs. His hopes were quickly put to rest, however, when he asked her a question.

..."So..are they tame now?..will _we_ be able to handle them?..you never did tell me what breed they are, are they maybe just a couple of mongrels?"...

Allison let out a sigh, as she reluctantly got up from the floor. She turned to face the Corporal, as she crossed her arms, with Fenrir and Igrayne dutifully at her sides. The same venomous countenance, she had possessed upon her arrival, returned as she spoke...

..."Seeing as how you're_ far _too inept to figure it out on your own, I'll explain this so _even you_ can understand"...she went on condescendingly...

..."No..their not _tame_ and they never_ will_ be. You will _never _be able to _handle_ them, without _me_ around anyway. The reason why is _no doubt_ over your head, so let me simplify it, by just saying they don't like jerks. Their not any kind of _breed,_ or are they _mongrels._ Their not _even _fuckin dogs, their _wolf cubs..._

...Bob Peterson, numbed by Allison's virulent verbal assault, was about to interject, when she continued on with her patronizing debasement, along with an amazing proposition...

..."But seeing as how you're _obviously_ "in over your head" here, I'll be merciful and help you out, with a few _conditions_"...

..."Number one; Fenrir and Igrayne here are my_ personal_ property. They leave with _me_ and they go where I go, at_ all_ times."...

... "Two, my role here will_ not_ be as your _assistant_, but rather your _superior_. The title of 'Sergeant Young' has a nice ring to it I think"...

..."Three, I have unrestricted access to the outside world, in order to collect more specimens and last but_ far_ from least, when you present my idea to that 'stick in the mud' Perry, you'll need to convince him to restore my God given_ right_ to carry a firearm"...

... "Do this for_ me_ and I'll help _you_ out... I don't_ think _you're as stupid as you act, with the right teacher, even _you_ can learn something here...So..we got a deal?"...

_..."Holy Christ!...she's not only the rudest person I ever had the displeasure to meet, but she's totally and certifiably fuckin delusional"..._Bob thought to himself as he stood, jaw agape, staring at the brash little brunette tapping her toe, with crossed arms, awaiting his answer...

..."Ok..not that I don't appreciate most _generous_ offer"...he started in with a hint of sarcasm...and as he rubbed his forehead a few times, as if he had a splitting headache, continued...

..."But I really think we _need_ to get a few things_ straight_ here, first of all I do happen to be a Corporal in the resistance and you're only a"...

He was again cut short, when Mike grabbed his shoulder and motioned with a nod of his head, to accompany him to the other room, as he called out to Allison...

..."Hey..time out..little conference..Ok?"...which she returned with a simple indifferent shrug of her shoulders...

..."Hey Bob..look"...Mike started in, after they were out of "out of earshot" from Allison...

..."First of all, please..please _don't_ antagonize her. I can _assure_ you, most emphatically, that that's not wise and can only turn out very ugly. I know she can be rather..._trying_...but actually, relatively speaking, she's on pretty damn good behavior, so far."...

..."But she's fucking nuts!"...Bob interjected, while glancing back in her direction...

..."I know..I know..._believe me_ I know"...Mike affirmed while holding his hands up in front of himself as he continued...

..."But, as much as I hate to admit it, she _did _made a few good points. Perry's been breathing down our ass to get this project going and you'll have to admit, we haven't meet with lot of success so far."...

..."As you and me both saw, she's damn good at what she does and if we could somehow meet her half way, I really think she could be a great help. As far as those two wild dogs...or wolves, I guess they are...just let her _have_ the fuckin things. You know damn well, we'll never be able to do anything with them and probably just end up having to put them down anyway, so no big loss."...

..."Bob looked down at his bandaged up leg and the other scars he had acquired, since he had taken his new position. Reluctantly he concurred with his underling's opinion...

..."Well you _might _have a point there Mike"...he agreed, somewhat unenthusiastically...

..."But there's _no way!... _I'll ever take orders from that little brat"...Bob exclaimed emphatically...

..."And she's _not _taking my job"...he assertively added...

..."Bob, that will never happen..not in a million years"...Mike assured him...

..."If Perry had his druthers, she'd_ still _be locked up in a cage...hell!, she wouldn't even _be _here!, so don't ever worry about _that"..._he further assured him with a pat on the back...

After a little more discussion, they returned to Allison with their decision. Bob was the first to speak...

..."Well, we decided that you can just have the dogs..er rather wolves, Ok?...Their all yours, just take them and yes we could use your help, but as far as your other demands... uh... I mean _requests_... well, I'm afraid that's _somewhat_ out of my hands. Like I said before, I'm a Corporal..._only_ a Corporal, Justin Perry is a _Colonel_ and I'm rather powerless to do anything there"..he concluded...

Allison looked him up and down a few times, then stated...

..."Ya..coming from you, that _doesn't_ surprise me"... and as she turned to leave, with Fenrir and Igrayne faithfully in tow, spouted out...

..."Ill see what I can do...seeing as _you _can't handle it"...

..._"CHRIST!..she never quits!..does she?"..._Bob thought to himself, as he inwardly winced at her final cutting remark...Then hollered out to her as she was leaving ...

..."Ya ain't taking my job"...

She turned back briefly and just said with a sly grin...

..."We'll see"...

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	7. Ch6 Bedtime Stories

**A/N:**

**1. trenth...**Well I'm certainly glad to here that ma'am"...Alfredo replied with a look of relief. That should be hear. Freyja thought to her self, equally relivedthat should be relieved. :)...Noted and corrected...thanks

**2. Little used words, terms, trivia, etc. concerning this chapter...**

**(1)...Eiríkur Rauði**...Erik the Red

**(2)...Leifur Eiriksson**...Leif Erikson

**(3)...Hél**... (pronounced "Hail")..Norse Goddess/Queen of the underworld; said to be one half a beautiful woman and one half a dead rotting corpse. Her throne was in the frozen hall of the same name (Hél), in the cold underworld of Niflheim. It was not necessarily a place of punishment, like we of Judeo-Christian cultures think of Hell (derived from the same name), but rather the dwelling place of those who did not die a hero's death in battle and therefore chosen to be taken to either Valhalla or Sessrumnir/Fólkvangr. You would end up there simply from dying of old age, accident, disease, etc. It's also interesting to note that Hél was not only the Goddess and ruler of the dead, but also the guardian of souls not yet born. A cool video about her can be found at….. ..com/watch?v=m3Xm9qj5XG0

**(4)….Iðunn**.…...Norse Goddess of youth, life and health. She gave the other Gods and Goddesses special apples, that kept them from aging, getting sick and/or dying. They did not, however, make them immortal, as we today think of the term. They only protected them from death by natural causes. They could still be killed in battle and/or by accidents.

**(5)….Tunguska Event**…On June 30, 1908 there was a mysterious explosion in Siberia, near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River. It knocked over about 80 million trees over a 800 square mile area and was estimated to be the equivalent of up to a 15-20 megaton thermonuclear blast (about 1,000 times as powerful as the bombs the U.S. dropped on Japan at the end of WWII). No signs of a crater was ever found and the most accepted, or rather the "official," theory was that it was a large meteoroid or comet exploding before impact. It has never, however, been fully established or proven as to what the cause actually was and there have been many things about this occurrence that the comet/meteoroid theory can't explain, like accounts of radiation/genetic damage in wildlife and people in the area, the sky glowing at night for weeks afterwards, accelerated growth rate in the trees in the surrounding areas, etc. There are several "other" theories and they range from the earth colliding with a small black hole, a piece of anti matter, an alien space craft going out of control and disintegrating in the atmosphere and even something ripping through the space time continuum.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, there has been much evidence come to surface of a massive cover up on the part of the Russian government, surrounding this event. It is sometimes referred to as a Russian Roswell.

.org/wiki/Tunguska_event

.gov/headlines/y2008/30jun_

.

.com/videosearch?q=Tunguska+event&hl=en&sitesearch=hl=en&sitesearch=&q=tunguska+explosion&src=2&view=2&qvid=tunguska+explosion&vid=287042242327364278

**********Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to TSCC or are they my creation. This work is strictly amature (obviously) and I receive no compensation of any kind. The character of "Freyja Björnsdóttir", however is of my creation totally.**

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**The Story of a life:**

**Chapter 6: Bedtime Stories**

**.**

**Mar. 12, 2026**

**Furnace Creek; Death Valley, Ca.**

**1830 Hrs.**

**.**

The little eighteen year old Lieutenant, clad in the garb of some primordial savage, continued to relax in the soft flickering glow of her little fire pit. She reached over to a little pile of sticks by her side and tossed a few more onto the fire, sending a swarm of orange glowing fireflies fluttering away into the night, as Allison laid back against the gnarled cottonwood, gazing absent mindedly into her little fire.

Suddenly a faint silent sound, a sound so slight it would be nothing more than just a feeling, a sensation of being watched. An awareness of a presence rapidly approaching, pulled her from her revere.

She sprang to her feet while simultaneously reaching behind her, to grab a pair of shiny, pristine condition, pearl handled S&W.50 magnum revolvers, that hung from the dead cottonwood, in one quick fluid motion. With a gleaming ten inch stainless steel _hand cannon_ in either hand, in stark contrast to her stone age attire, she bound with cat like quickness and agility, out of the fire's light and quickly scanned her now dark surroundings, for the author of that ever so silent sound, the subtle but sudden sense of being watched. Her head snapped, as if spring loaded, to the southwest... toward a pair of red glowing eyes, rapidly closing in on her from out of the darkness...

...She lightly squeezed the triggers, gently thumbed the hammers down to the safe position, as the twin pistols slid under her waist band. Dropping to a knee she threw open her arms, as the eyes of the nocturnal predator went from a fiery red to a yellowish gold, with the changing angle of the fire's soft glow. Fenrir's black furry mass burst out from the night. His hundred ninety two pound bulk nearly bowled her over, as she grabbed his neck and buried her head into his gray streaked mane.

..."So where ya _been,_ ya big ol fenrisúlfur!"...Allison cried out, as they playfully wrestled...

..."I was starting to _worry..._ya get it done?"...

Fenrir boxed her solidly in the thigh with his snout, as she stood up, then loped smoothly and silently toward the fire. He glanced back her way, his immense dark form silhouetted by the fire's orange glow, as he spoke, with his piercing amber gold eyes.

She ran back to the old gnarled cottonwood, at the fire's far edge.

He laid back his ears, tilted his head to the sky and with a sharp piercing howl, called out to the night. From the distant southwest their returned a chorus of calls, then back into the darkness he shot, like a swift silent shadow.

She dashed behind the tree, grabbed a long silvery pike, a rawhide pouch, reptilian skinned hood and her knife. Quickly returning to the fire's edge, she dropped to her knees. With her pike laying to her left and the little pouch on her right, she pulled the hood over her head and made a few quick little adjustments, so the eye slits were positioned for optimal vision. With her hood in place, she was somewhat reminiscent of a medieval headsman, save it being fashioned of various snake and lizard skins with just mere neatly cut little slits, where the eyes would be.

The occasional chirp of a cricket, the slight tinkle from the stone fountain and an occasional far off subdued rumble, like the sound of heat lightning on a warm summer eve, from the distant North West, as Mt. Young belched forth another golden plume, was all that broke the dead silence of the dark desert night.

With muscles tensed like spring steel, blood pounding in her ears, she crouched close to the ground behind the soft glow of the waning fire, where she waited patiently like a spider in its web. With her silvery gleaming spear clutched in her left hand, she reached into the little pouch on her right and withdrew a fist full of silvery gray powder.

A long piercing howl, shattered the still silent night and her body drew taut, like a snake ready to strike. At the slight sound of the snapping of a twig, the glowing hot coals burst into a blinding white flash as the powder was cast forth. She jammed the pike's butt solidly into the earth, as it was deftly yanked upward to precisely the right angle, then smartly off to her right she rolled. The deer came down in her place with a thud, its heart neatly pierced by gleaming silvery shaft.

She bounced back to her feet with her thick brown hair flaying, as the hood was yanked off. Fenrir and his silvery gray companion, Igrayne, loped leisurely into the camp, flanked on either side by their sons, Galahad and Gawain.

She grabbed her paratrooper knife and clutched it in her teeth, as the feral little savage bounded back to the fallen animal, placed a foot on its shoulder, pulled the pike from its breast then dropped to her knees by its side. Laying her head on its neck, she stroked its fur a few times, whispered soft words as if apologizing for the deed just committed, as her little band of "Knights" respectfully looked on.

After she concluded her little ceremony, the "Wolf Girl" snapped open her knife and sliced open the belly in one clean stroke. She thrust her arm deep in under the ribs and pulled out the heart. After biting off a chunk she held it out to Fenrir, who snatched it tight in his fangs. After a sharp tug and a few growls, it ripped in two and the other half was tossed to an eagerly waiting Igrayne, who caught it with a snap of her jaws. The liver was next and was sliced in two, then tossed to Fenrir and Igrayne while the remainder of the entrails were given to Galahad and Gawain, as they growled and snarled in little tug of wars, over the warm moist delicacies.

Allison sliced off a fair sized chunk of flesh from the hindquarters for herself, tossed it on the glowing coals and then gave Fenrir a little nod of her head. He pounced on the carcass, savagely tearing off chunks of meat, nearly swallowing them whole, till he had eaten his fill. Igrayne followed suit and then their two sons. With her knife, the "Wolf Girl" stabbed the hunk of meat in the fire and relaxed back against the old cottonwood, pulling the baked flesh from the fur with her teeth. Fenrir and Igrayne sat at her sides, their fury triangular ears twitching and turning, like little radar receivers, to detect the slightest of threats, to their leader and comrade in arms.

In the year 2026 AD she laid, her belly full, asleep on the ground with a black fury beast pressed up beside her, curled up in a ball in the soft orange glow of a fire. Three others wandered about the camp, guarding against any unwelcome intruder, or laid by the lazily flickering fire, gnawing on bones under a clear starry sky. A rumbling and grumbling volcano, glowing with a pulsating yellowish orange hue, off in the far distance, completed the scene. To the millions of souls outside of this peaceful refuge, it was perhaps the eve of mankind, but to Allison and her brood it was but the dawn, as if in the early Pleistocene. As she slept under the dark starry sky, she dreamed of the day when her Kyle would join her and make her dream a reality, after the fires of Ragnarök subsided.

* * *

**.**

**March 16, 2022**

**New Los Angeles, Ca.**

**Sergeant Mc Cook and Allison Young's Quarters**

**2230 Hrs.**

**.**

Corporal Allison Young lay in her bed, listening intently, as Freyja Björnsdóttir told her the stories from her own childhood. While the tales of King Arthur and his Knights were still her favorite and the old leather bound book her Dad had found for her, her most prized possession, the myths and folktale's of Freyja's native land had become a total passion with her. She had decided to turn in early (she had been in bed since about eight o clock and it was now after ten), as this would be the last night that her Dad would be working late, at least until they had a new group of recruits ready for training.

Perry had been getting somewhat antsy, as to when Freyja would be returning to her regular duties at the infirmary. Allison was now fully recovered, physically and spiritually. The arrival of Fenrir and Igrayne into her life had seemed to have given her a real reason to live again and had returned to her, her old _spunk_, along with that peculiar bouncy gait she at times had. The need for Freyja's duties as a nurse or even a nanny had long since past. With the exception of an occasional visit, to help her Dad with his books and other business related issues, as he had finally made her a full partner in his little operation, she would probably not be seeing much of her "Aunt Freyja" for awhile, after this night.

Allison also had acquired a few new duties of her own. After her _encounter_ with the dog trainers, she had brazenly marched into Perry's office with her demands, as Fenrir took the liberty to urinate on the corner of his desk.

While he had been more than just a little taken aback, by her rather brash and presumptuous entrance, her somewhat snide initial comment on how she could probably "take him out," before he could even draw his weapon and should consider doing something about his security measures, he was also a little impressed.

With the exception of Lieutenant Connor, who was MIA anyway, he had never seen in any of even the most top officers under his command, the same self confidence, unflinching boldness and direct pull no punches manor in which she spoke. She was probably the most arrogant and surly individual he ever had the displeasure to meet, without even so much as a _clue_ to any sort of military courtesy. Even so, she seemed to possess qualities that he wished more of the men under his command could acquire.

The young Corporal he had placed in charge of the new dog training program, while the best he could come up with at the time, was also proving to be less than adequate, a fact that Allison had been sure to remind him of, several times, during their _discussion._ In the weeks following the onset of the project, they had managed to come up with a perfect one hundred percent rate of failure, it was going nowhere fast. Perry had received direct orders from none other than supreme commander General Mitchell himself, to get this project going and he expected results rather than excuses.

According to Sea-Tac intelligence reports, Skynet had developed a new prototype infiltration unit. Unlike the rubber skinned T-600 series, which resembled a glorified walking store mannequin that a blind man could spot, these were different. They were life like in every detail, from real sounding human speech to actual living flesh and were absolutely impossible to detect, upon first encounter. The scariest part about them was that, not only did they look totally life like, but they could be produced to exactly duplicate an actual living person. Dogs, however, could somehow sense that they were different and as they were totally foreign to the animal's range of experiences, would interpret them as a threat and react accordingly.

While these new Skynet units were still exceedingly rare, the general consensus was that they would be the next generation of terminators. Mitchell had expected Perry to have at least half of his combat units equipped with dogs, within a month's time. It had already been slightly over a week, with a zero success rate and it didn't look like things would improve anytime soon.

The two wolf cubs, sitting dutifully at Allison's side, stood as living testimony to her alleged talent in this particular area. He wasn't sure if he trusted her, given her background and he surely didn't like her, but he was over the preverbal barrel.

With much reluctance, he took the chance and appointed her to be Corporal Peterson's advisor. She was still _technically_ a civilian, but in reality, she was most definitely in charge and while Peterson didn't exactly like her, or the situation in general, he was able to finally accept it. They never became anything _close _to friends, but did manage to develop a good working relationship. Within four days time they had all the dogs previously collected, trained and into service.

With the supply of dogs to train exhausted, she and her ever present wolf cubs, had lead several expeditions in search of more. On one such occasion they had come under attack by a pair of T-600's. Allison, armed with only a knife, Fenrir and Igrayne, who were growing at an astonishing rate (at fourteen weeks old were already the size of a good sized German Sheppard and still growing), was able to disable one, allowing the other four members of her team to concentrate their firepower on the other. No casualties or serious injuries had been sustained during the brief engagement.

Perry had been so impressed with her performance as a dog trainer, not to mention her combat skills, that he did something unheard of up until that time. Bypassing basic training altogether, he had accepted her into the resistance forces and not as a Private, but rather a Corporal. This little breach of protocol was even more remarkable when considering that Allison had, in her usual bold arrogant manor, refused any form of physical examination upon her induction into the service and that any medical certification, or subsequent treatment, would be through her "Aunt Freyja," as she now openly referred to her as, only.

He further suggested, that after the pressure was off on dog training, that she should move on to become an advanced close combat instructor. She would select the top graduates from her Dad's basic training class and further train them, to become special elite combat units. The job would come with a promotion to Sergeant and that's exactly what she decided she would do, when the time came. As attractive as a promotion to the rank of Sergeant was to her, as she would be the second female to ever achieve that high of a rank under Perry's command, it was not the entire motivation.

As much as she preferred working with animals, as opposed to people, there was one drawback she didn't particularly care for. The presence of her two wolves was quite disturbing to the regular dogs, that looked at them as a threat and invoked some very negative reactions. She was forced to leave them at home, while working as a dog trainer and that she would rather not do.

. Sergeant Mc Cook, had been so proud of her that he let her have her pick, from his immense stock of weapons to choose from, for her personal side arms. When she had selected two 50. Cal. five shot, single action revolvers, he was somewhat bewildered as to her choice, as opposed to something with a higher rate of fire and magazine capacity. Where he asked why she simply replied with…

…."They're simple and easy to take care of. They _never _jamb and besides... how many shots do you think I _need_, to get the job done?."…..

While she was still for the most part universally disliked, due to her sharp tongue and abrasive personality, she had gained much respect and even admiration from the troops in general. If it were to come down to an actual fire fight, she was someone who they would sell their soul to have on their side, regardless of their _personal _opinion of her.

On the home front, however, it was much different. There she was not "Wolf Girl", the "She Wolf", or even Corporal Young. At home she had no need of a mask to hide behind, she could be herself. She could be just plain old Allison ….Daddy's little princess…Aunt Freyja's little sweetheart. There was no place else that she would really rather be.

As Allison was now officially a working girl, with a job that took up much of her time and as Freyja would soon be returning to her regular job on a full time basis, she figured an opportunity to have a talk with her, about some things she had been wondering about for some time now, might become somewhat rare.

As she lay relaxed in her bed with closed eyes, listening to Freyja's intriguing tales of Norse Mythology, she figured this would be an opportune time to have a little talk. She opened her eyes, sat up slightly, propping herself up on an elbow and asked….

….."Aunt Freyja…do you remember back when all the bombs came and everything blew up?"….

…"Well somewhat"….Freyja responded, somewhat puzzled as to why she would ask such a thing…

…"You have to remember I was in _very_ bad shape at that time…I _almost_ died, so any details are _probably_ pretty sketchy"…..she went on to say….

….."Ya, I heard about how sick you were right after that"….Allison clarified, then further explained…

….."But I didn't mean _right_ after then, I meant after you got better..the three years after that …you know, when nobody could go outside and it was always so cold…..when it snowed so much….when everyone was always fighting and killing each other for food"…..she concluded….

….."Well of _course_ I do sweetheart"…Freyja responded….

…."Those were dark _horrible_ times….everybody was so scared…_everyone _remembers that, why do you ask such a thing?"….Freyja inquired with a puzzled look…

….."Well do you ever wonder if maybe those three years could have been Fimbulvetr?…like in the stories you tell me?"…Allison inquired in a serious tone..and continued with…

…."And maybe what's going on right now is perhaps Ragnarök?"….

A look of deep concern spread over Freyja's face, as she contemplated Allison's questions. She had noticed for some time now, that it seemed as if she was taking these stories just a little too seriously. In day to day life, Allison was so down to earth, at age fourteen she was already well on her way to being a battle hardened soldier. There were many that actually feared her. At times like this, however, she was such an innocent and naive child like little girl, that seemed to live in a fantasy world. Having one's mind in a fantasy land, during these dark times, could prove to be extremely hazardous to your health, of this, Freyja was all too aware. As she reached out to Allison, gently straightening her hair, she replied sympathetically and in a very concerned voice…

….."Allison…sweetheart…look…I know _how much _you like these to hear these stories…and I like telling them to you, but there _just that_ sweetheart, they're stories, myths, fairytales….that's all, you _can't_ base your life around them…they're _not _prophesies, …I _know _you're smart enough to realize that"…..

….."Well that may be so"…Allison halfheartedly agreed…"But there's people that say the same thing about the Bible, Torah, Koran and all those other books, but their's others who _do_ believe they're prophetic and base their lives around them, so what's the difference?"…She concluded….

Freyja had never been very religious. As far as the Bible went, she was pretty sure there was an Adam and Eve, a God and a Devil and Jesus Christ in there somewhere, but that was about it. The more she thought about it, she realized she knew more about the old pagan beliefs of her ancestors, than the so called great religions of the modern world. While she never talked about it, as she considered it an embarrassment, her own Father, a highly respected member of the Pre J-Day scientific community, was a devout follower of "the old ways," in his private life. His personal patron God, or rather Goddess, had been Freyja and he named his daughter in honor of her. Unable to come up with a better answer to Allison's inquiry, she simply said, somewhat half heartedly…..

….."Well because…..because…they're…'_pagan_'…I guess"…

Allison sat full up in her bed, raised her knees and while wrapping her arms around them, commented on Freyja's remark…

….."And just because they're so called '_pagan_' beliefs, does that make them more or less valid than the others?…Actually the word 'pagan' just means that someone believes something different than you do and you think you're right and they're wrong"…

After a moment of thought, Freyja realized Allison was right, so she again agreed….

….."Well I _suppose _you're right"….after which she went on to say….

…."But you need to realize that I'm a _scientist_"…and as she gazed downward momentarily, corrected…..

….."Or rather I _use to be_…and their's no scientific proof or evidence for the things you're talking about, by all we know, those thing should be_ impossible_, sweetheart"…she concluded while stroking Allison's hair…

…"Yes, that's true"..Allison responded…"it can't be proved, but just because you can't _prove _something do's that mean it's _impossible?…_because something has never happened before does that mean it can't?…By all _known_ science you _should have_ died on J-Day, but you didn't….You should have died three days after that from radiation, but you _didn't_…You should also be blind, deaf and hairless with hideous burn scars all over you but that didn't happen _either.._did it?..My Dad told me about a time you got so shot up that you _should have _died again…but you didn't…..How many people should be dead right now, according to medical science…including me…but aren't, people that you just happened to be around a lot, at the time"…and as she nodded her head toward Fenrir and Igrayne curled up together in the corner of her room, continued on with…

….."And those two…I know _a lot_ about wolves and they shouldn't be even half their size, for as old as they are, but since I started my new job, they've been here all the time…._around you._ I've overheard Doctors saying that you don't hardly age….also _impossible,_ but here you are, looking like you're twenty five or so, instead of almost forty….and…oh ya!…I don't think my Dad _actually knows_ how old you are"…..and as she gave Freyja a quick little wink, added….

….."Just thought you might like to know that"….then continued on…

….."There may not be any proof, but there sure seems to me like there's a lot of evidence floatin around…..I'm going to tell you something that I've never told anyone before..even My Dad, so you got to promise that it will stay as our little secret.. OK?"….

Freyja was again starting to feel like Allison was the Mother and she was the daughter, but she was starting to find this conversation somewhat intriguing, so she just whispered…..

….."ÉG lofa"….And waited to see exactly where Allison was going with all this….

….."Do you remember back a few weeks ago when you thought I was getting ….sick again and going back into another comma?"….Allison inquired …..

….."Of _course_ I do!"….Freyja exclaimed and added as she gave Allison a quick hug….

…."Fjandinn! …How could I ever _forget!…_Skítur!..I thought we were going to loose you again!"…..

…."Well you're right, you almost did"…Allison affirmed matter of factly

She then related in detail to Freyja her near death experience. She told of the cold dark misty land of Niflheim, that she had found herself in, of hearing her Father calling to her but being unable to move. She described perfectly the cold specter like visage of Hel, drawing her toward her with open arms. Her cold breath had frozen her tears and even her fears, to where that eternal embrace had started to become inviting. If Hel were to touch her, she knew she could never return.

She told of the Goddess Freyja, bursting from the darkness in her chariot, demanding her release and freeing her from Hel's cold spell, of looking into Freyja's fiery blue eyes and taking her hand, then finding herself back in the land of the living, staring into her Aunt Freyja's same fiery blue eyes.

…."Well now, that _certainly is_ quite the story"….Freyja commented, then added with a chuckle…"I think maybe_ you_ should be telling _me _the bed time stories, instead of the other way around"….

…."You're_ not_ taking this seriously"…Allison interjected somewhat impatiently…

…."The Freyja I saw in the vision looked _just_ like you, everything else looked _exactly_, like what you've described in the stories…_exactly_"…..

…."But sweetheart"…Freyja interjected with a growing look of concern …"That's just because your mind was playing back what I told you before…just because the Freyja you saw looked like me doesn't mean anything either. You're mind just showed you a picture of me. You associate me with her because of the name and it was a very common name for girls back in Iceland. It doesn't mean anything at all…It's just a name."…

…."Ya, I use to think that too"….Allison stated…"Until tonight anyway"….

…."Well…what happened tonight?"….Freyja queried with a puzzled look…

…."It wasn't till an hour or so ago that you told me about and described Hel. I saw her in my vision; again, _exactly_ and I mean _exactly_ like you described her tonight…and my dream was over two weeks ago. There's not a whole lot of Norse Mythology books around these days, as I'm sure you know. How would I know about her before tonight?

…."To be perfectly honest, I really don't know"….Freyja admitted somewhat perplexed"… But the mind can do strange things sweetheart. It could be that after I told you about Hel, you just _think_ you saw her in your dream."...

A sly little smile came over Allison's face, as she got up out of bed, walked over to a corner and pulled out several pieces of paper, from her little pile of personal affects. She got back into bed and handed them to Freyja saying …

….."So what do you think about these?"….

Freyja looked in astonishment at the almost photo quality drawings she held in her hands. There were pictures of the Goddess Freyja, in her cat drawn chariot, the Rainbow Bridge and Hel with her minions in the cold misty land of Niflheim. The renditions of Sessrumnir, Valhalla with all the Valkyries and Einherjar were of such quality that it seemed as if you were actually there.

…."You actually drew these!"…Freyja remarked in shocked amazement ….

…."Where did you learn to draw like this!….their like….like.. fjandinn! they're like photographs almost!"…

What amazed her the most was not just the quality of the artwork, as remarkable as it was, but the fact that the detail was of such that it was exactly as she pictured these things, in her own mind. There was absolutely no way she could ever, with mere words, describe the scenes she was looking at to where anybody would be able to reproduce them on paper as Allison had done. It was like looking at her very thoughts.

…."My real Dad.. Uh…I mean my biological Dad"….Allison quickly corrected…"got me started when I was real young, but since then I just learned on my own I guess"…she explained nonchalantly, with a shrug of her shoulders.

…."And I drew these right after I had that dream, long before you ever told me about Hel"…..Allison continued on…"So I didn't just _think_ I saw it that way, I really did"…she stated confidently"…

…."That was _you_, Aunt Freyja.. in the chariot…That was _you_ that guided me back"….Allison concluded emphatically….

…."Are you saying that you think I'm the Freyja of legend?…that I'm a…an actual Goddess!…that I'm Immortal!"….Freyja inquired incredulously …

…."For one thing"…Freyja categorically stated …."I was born April 22, 1983 in Hvammstangi Iceland….._not_ a thousand years ago… Also, I'm most definitely _not_ immortal. It may be true that I age very slowly, but I _do_ age and someday I will die, just like everybody else. If I were to put a gun to my head and pull the trigger, I'd be just as dead. I may be pretty tough, I guess, I may be able to heal up from injuries better than most, but I can be killed. Why do you think they wont let me go out into combat? I also don't seem to remember where I parked my chariot, or where I put my golden war helmet"….She concluded with a slight chuckle.

…."No, I didn't mean to say you were immortal or a God, or that you were the Freyja of old."...Allison explained..."And the Gods in your stories weren't actually immortal either. You told me that they had to keep eating the apples that Iðunn gave them, to keep from growing old. The other people, back then, probably just _thought _they were Gods and I think now, that they really existed, or at least some beings or people that were similar."...

..."What do you think would happen, if you had some kind time machine and went back to the Viking days? How would they react to you?...when they noticed that it didn't seem like you ever aged, when you could get all shot up, with let's say…arrows and survive, where anyone else would not?...What would they think, after it was known that you could heal people like you can, by just being close to them?…They would probably think you were a God…right?"…..

… "Well ya…your probably right"…Freyja acknowledged… "If and again I say _if, _I could time travel back to then, they probably would think that. I also agree that the characters in the old folk tales might have been real, but I doubt real seriously that they were any kind of super human, strange visitors from another planet, or anything like that. They were probably just some local heroes or super warriors, that after time people venerated them to the point to where they started to think of them as Gods. Just like King Arthur; we both know that he didn't really exist, at least not like in the books, but I'm sure that there was somebody back in third century England, maybe some local warlord, that the stories were based on."…..

….. "Why couldn't they be super human?"….Allison asked, steadfastly holding to her theory and added... "Your are, so why couldn't they be?"…

…. "Allison sweetheart, I'm not super human!"….Freyja stated insistently… "Skítur!…I should know. The doctors studied me for years, like some laboratory animal. Fjandinn!…they still won't let me fight, cause they keep hoping they'll find something in me that they can use to better the human race, but they have never found anything! I'm no different than you, your dad, or anyone. I'm hundred percent pure normal flesh and blood, that's all"…..

…. "Ya, right!"…Allison retorted… "You took enough radiation to kill twenty men, swam around in boiling water, according to what I've heard and can sometimes heal someone just by being close to them…normal?.. I'm sure!…I don't know about you, but that sounds kinda super human to me"….

….. "OK..OK…Allt í lagi!"…Freyja conceded… "I'll admit there are some things about me that are rather strange…I just figure I've got a super strong will to survive and was luckier than Hell. As far as being able to heal people, well that's just because for some reason, I tend to make people relax by being around them. I can encourage them and it's their own mind that heals them, not me."…

….. "There's nothing _magic_ about it. The doctors also all agree, that whatever it is about me, it's probably a one in a billion thing at best. I doubt very seriously that there was a whole race of super humans like me, if that's what I am, way back then or any time in the past or the present, but lets just say that your right. Lets say, for the sake of argument, that sometime around 300 AD or so a whole race of super beings sprang up in Iceland, Norway, Jutland, or wherever. What's that got to do with today?…with me? What's that got to do with your dreams, about me rescuing you from Hel, or prophecies about the end of the world…Ragnarök?"….she concluded…

….. "I'm glad you asked"…Allison stated excitedly… "I was just getting to that. I also think I know how you can heal, why you were able to survive your ordeals and why you don't age like the rest of us."….

….. "Well I'd certainly like to hear this and I'm sure the doctors would like to know as well. So go ahead and clue me in" …Freyja interjected with a chuckle, while crossing her arms and giving Allison an amused look…

…. "OK then, here's what I think"…Allison proclaimed confidently… "I think you can somehow project your mind, your thoughts or whatever, into the mind of another. Maybe you don't even know that you're doing it and I'm sure if that's the case then you probably can't control it. It just happens, unconsciously no doubt."….

…. "You heal yourself and keep from aging because, like you said, you have a very strong survival instinct and mind. Like the doctors said, you're probably one in a billion. Yes, your body is normal, just like everybody else's, but your mind is not. Your mind tells your body to heal, not to age and your body obeys. Mind over matter. That's why they can't figure out how you survived. They don't fully understand the human mind" ….

Freyja started giving Allison a rather incredulous look, but before she could say anything, Allison caught it and piped up with….

…. "Hey, I know what you're thinking, but I know what I'm talking about here. Among the people I use to be with, well there was this one person that wasn't like the rest of them and took an interest in me, taught me how to fight and was my protector, when all the rest turned against me." ...

... "Cameron"…she paused for a moment as if in deep thought… "had been a soldier of fortune and an adventurer long before J-Day, and had traveled all over the world many times, visited and lived with all kinds of weird primitive people, learned all about this mind over matter stuff. Have you ever seen anyone that was able to stick there hand in a fire without burning it?…kinda like the way you said you swam around in boiling water?…or punch through bullet proof glass with no broken bones and just a few minor cuts, that would heal up in just a day or two?... Cameron could do all that and more... taught me a lot, all I know about survival, weapons and this mind over matter stuff. I learned from the very best. I'm not even half as good, Cameron was a master, but still….that's why I can take on three grown men and win every time. Excellent martial training combined with a little mind over matter. So just trust me, I know something about this…OK?"…. .

Freyja had, at first, been a bit skeptical of Allison's alleged knowledge on the subject, but she had asked the Sergeant, the previous week, if he could teach her some self defense techniques. Mc Cook had simply referred her to Allison, saying she was actually better qualified and had been astounded by Allison's combat skills. She had watched her and her Dad spar and couldn't believe the way she had literally mopped the floor, with a man more than twice her size. The more she learned about this little girl, she looked at as a daughter, the more remarkable she was finding her to be. She put her doubts to rest and gave Allison a little nod for her to continue…..

….. "So anyway"…Allison continued…. "You said that you relax and encourage people, so that their own mind can heal them. Well, I think that's partially true, but not entirely the case. Part of your mind merges with theirs and it's your mind, not theirs, that heals them. I also think that the longer you're around them, the greater your personal interest in them is and how receptive they are, also may be a factor."…

….. "So you think it's.. like….telepathy?"…Freyja inquired with mounting interest…

Allison pondered the idea, with a thoughtful look about her, then replied…..

….. "Umm…something like that maybe, but I think it's different. I have a form of telepathy with animals, especially dogs and even more so with wolves. I've known this since I was about seven or eight years old. In my experience, telepathy implies a form of two way mental communication and I don't think that's what you have. I your case I think it's more like a merging of your mind, spirit, consciousness or maybe even your soul with others"…..

….. "Sounds like you're talking about love"….Freyja commented..

Again, Allison thought for a moment, then affirmed….

….. "Ya…I guess that is love...of sorts…The Freyja of old was... among many other things, the Goddess of love…right?..so it fits."…..

…. "Well I suppose it does"…Freyja remarked, then went on to point out, with a hint of uncertainty…

..… "But, unlike me, she was also very sexually promiscuous"…..

….. "According to the legends"…Allison further pointed out… "You were….Opps!.. sorry about that, I meant _she_"….Allison quickly corrected… "was always very free with her love, just as you are in certain ways. It could be interpreted either way."…

After a moment of thought, Allison remembered a story Freyja had told her and conceded with…..

….. "Well ya, on second thought, I remember the story about how Freyja had spent a night with each of the four the dwarfs that made her the necklace, so maybe you're right, maybe she was kind of a whore at that"….

….. "Oh no!.. no! no!…dauði og djöfull! No!"…Freyja exclaimed defensively…. "She was defiantly not a whore!…She just figured that because the necklace was the finest thing they could make, the total summation of their collective skills, that it was only fair that she should repay them with what she considered to be one of her finer skills.…She was just very independent and free spirited,...that's all"….

…... "Free spirited and independent….just like you…huh Aunt Freyja?"…Allison commented casually….

….. "Well in some ways..ya..like me"…Freyja affirmed with a hint of pride…

….. "But not in that…_other way_." She adamantly stated and went on to say….

….. "Freyja was also the Goddess of battle and you know damn well I'm not much of a warrior"…

….. "No, you're not"…Allison agreed, then clarified…..

... "Not yet anyway, We've only had one training session together and seems to me like you pick it up pretty quick, like it comes naturally. As far as that _other part _goes"….she went on to say…

... "Ya we all know you're not like that, but; if you had never met Ásbjörn….or my Dad"…she hastily added… "and you were born way back in the Viking days, as free spirited and independent as you are, how do you think you might have been?..without all of today's modern social cultural rules and morals ingrained into you?"…...

While Freyja's heart had always been for Ásbjörn, she knew all to well the depths of her physical desires and the will power it took to constantly keep them in check. After her move to Los Angeles and ensuing separation from him, there had been, unquestionably, a few temptations. There had even been, on one occasion, a situation where she had come within a gnat's ass of giving in to her pent up carnal desires. If she had lived single and alone back in the days of Eiríkur Rauði and Leifur Eiriksson, she most likely would have made the Freyja of legend look like a old schoolmarm by comparison. Deep inside, she knew all to well the answer to Allison's final question. It was something she didn't like to admit to herself, let alone anyone else.

….. "Well I don't know, I've never really gave it much thought"…Freyja stated unconvincingly, with a hint of red flashing over her face….

Upon noticing her discomfort with the question, Allison responded with…..

….. "You know how much I hate liars, but I suppose that's a half truth and you didn't mean any harm by it. ….. It's OK, you shouldn't feel ashamed about your desires, the fact that you don't give in to them just shows the kind of person you are. I also think that if the old days Freyja lived today, she wouldn't be like she was back then. She'd probably be just like you. Deep down I think you identify with her and she was your childhood hero. I can tell, buy the way you defended her...when I accused her of being a whore"….She concluded, with a triumphant grin...

…. "Why you….you planed the whole thing!…it was a trick!…you said that just to see how I'd react..didn't you?"….Freyja exclaimed…

… "You'll never know…will ya?"…Allison slyly responded…

…."Helvíti!..You should have been a lawyer!" ...Freyja remarked...

Allison stared blankly at her for a moment then asked….

… "What exactly is a lawyer?…I've heard that term a few times before, but nobody's really ever explained it to me"…

Freyja was somewhat surprised by Allison's question at first. After realizing, however, that she had, with the exception of the first few years of her life, known only the post apocalyptic world, the question made sense. Knowing that she was, for the most part, a post J-Day baby, Freyja also figured she knew little or nothing about court systems, legal, procedures or lawsuits. In light of all this she figured a full explanation might be rather difficult, so she proceeded with….

….. "Well they don't have them anymore, but before J-Day, they were people that were very good with words. They could make you say or confess to things that you might not really want to. People would hire one to talk for them, if they got into a situation where they felt that they needed to be better with words than what they were."…

Allison stared at her for a moment with a thoughtful look, then asked another question….

…"Did they torture people?"…..

… "Oh no.. no sweetheart"...Freyja responded with a chuckle… "They were just very skillful with how they used words and receptive of how someone would react to them, like you seem to be. They were shrewd, wily and astute, they would simply trick you into saying things…con you…that's all" ...

….. "If they used torture too, they probably could have done even better"….Allison remarked…

Even though Freyja loved her as if she were her own flesh and blood, at times, it seemed as if Allison had some mysterious dark side. Knowing, however, the world she had grown up in and especially where she had come from, her remark was not really all that surprising, so she further explained…..

….. "No sweetheart, they were so good at what they did, they didn't need to resort to torture. Lots of times people will lie under torture, just to get you to stop and say whatever it is they think you want to hear. Being clever and cunning is much more effective, for getting to the truth of a matter"…...

…. "Hmm, that makes sense..…I'll remember that. It probably would be a more effective strategy …thanks for explaining"….Allison commented thoughtfully, before continuing on….

….. "So anyway, back to what we were talking about, Freyja of the Æsir, she was your childhood hero right?"….

She was right on target and Freyja knew it.

They had promised each other that whenever they had these little talks, what ever was said would stay just between the two of them. Allison could be a bit deceitful at times. She could conveniently omit things and withhold information to mislead you, but she never actually told a bold faced lie, or ever broke a promise once it had been made. It was like it was sacred to her.

Freyja went ahead and told Allison all about her childhood, about the bedtime stories her father would tell her. She told of the times she and Eiríkur her brother would accompany him to an old stone shrine, on Fridays, to pay homage to the Goddess Freyja. She had been proud that her Father had named her after such an important deity and fantasized about actually being the Goddess of love, beauty and battle; Queen of the Valkyries.

While she had stopped believing in such things as she grew older, along with Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny, in her "Walter Mitty" moments, she still secretly imagined herself flying through the clouds in a golden cat drawn chariot. She would shift her shape and fly off to other worlds, charge into battle upon Hildisvini the war hog, with her silvery long sword and lance, then minister to the heroic dead and dying after the battle's close.

She told of how she, at the age of nineteen, had asked her Father why he still clung to his rather eccentric beliefs, as educated as he was. His answer had been that he had noticed that for every secret science unlocked, concerning the nature of the universe, time and space, a hundred more questions were discovered. It was like the more you learned, the more you realized how much you really didn't know and there was no telling what could actually be possible. He had also told her that most myths and legends of old, tended to be based on something that actually happened and believed that there could be much more to them than most people thought. He had hoped that, some day, he would be able to show how the myths of the ancients could unlock some very basic question about time and space. Before he could finish his work, on some very revolutionary theories he had, he and several of his colleges disappeared on a expedition to central Asia, while doing research at the old Tunguska Event site. Most figured it had been the handiwork of bandits or gun runners.

After Freyja finished her "confessions," Allison remarked…..

..."That's why in my vision the warrior lady looked like you, because in a way it was you. Because deep down in your subconscious you imagine your self to be her, so naturally she would look just like you. The same thing with Hel and everything else I saw, you projected you mind into mine to guide me back and I was seeing it all as you would imagine it to look." ...

….. "Well that would explain a lot"….Freyja admitted…. "But if I have this.. this mind fusion or projection ability you seem to think I have, then what about your Dad? You seem to know how I really feel about him. If what you say is true then I'm sure I would have projected those thoughts to him and he would have responded by now."….

….. "Like I said before, I don't think you're in complete control of this gift you have and if you did, I also don't think you can force your will on someone."….Allison explained…"When you came to me in Niflheim, you held out your hand and asked me to join you. It was up to me to accept the offer, but as soon as I took your hand we became as one mind and the next thing I knew we were back."…

….. "Oh no!, I'd never want to force my will on him, or anyone"….Freyja clarified…. "but I just thought that he would know how I feel about him"…..

…. "Maybe he does"….Allison speculated… "but perhaps he just doesn't know how to interpret it. In my case and in the case of those you heal, we're dealing with simple survival and everyone wants to live, a pretty basic instinct, but other human emotions can get rather complex as I'm sure you know"…...

…."Ya, maybe so"…Freyja replied skeptically, then came back with…..

….. "Anyway, what about the prophesy part…you know, about Ragnarök? Why do you think that this is that final apocalyptic war were involved in now?"….

…. "I don't know that"…. Allison replied… "that's why I asked you, but from the tales you've told me and similar things I was told, back in my Death Valley days, it all seems to fit"…

….. "Well you know, I never really thought about it"….Freyja admitted thoughtfully…. "but I'll have to admit, a lot of what you said does kind of make sense, or at least there's no other explanation….but even if there was a race of super beings back then, I doubt they would be able to foretell the distant future. The part about magic necklaces, golden flying chariots and some of the Gods, or whatever they were, being able to change there shape at will" ...she chuckled slightly and continued…. "well you'll have to admit that's a little hard to take seriously…. don't you think?" ...

….. "Ya that is a little hard to believe"….Allison agreed….. "but just because part of it might be imagined doesn't mean it all is. In the King Arthur stories, Merlin could also change his shape. Uther Pendragon did the same thing, with Merlin's help, so he could sleep with Igrayne by impersonating her husband. Two different stories from two different cultures mentioning the same thing. They must have gotten the idea from something, don't ya think?"…..

Before Freyja could answer, Allison posed another question…..

….. "Do you think that it will ever be possible to time travel?"….

Freyja froze momentarily at the question, as a look of uneasiness swept over her. She had been working with a research team, before the war, on just such a project and had been sworn to absolute secrecy. The project had given her a great sense of accomplishment as they had been making tremendous progress, but their mysterious benefactor, that had supplied the funding, had started to turn the whole thing into a living nightmare with all the cloak and dagger. They had explained in no uncertain terms, what could happen to anyone even suspected of being a security risk.

Cautiously and a bit nervously she responded with…..

… "Well, ya…uh…someday maybe...I suppose it could be possible" …

During the project they had actually succeeded in sending an atomic clock forty eight hours into the future and were closing in on a way to send it into the past. Experiments with live laboratory animal subjects and living plants, however, had never succeeded as they would materialize two days later in the time chamber in perfect condition, only completely lifeless. At the time it was proving to be an insurmountable problem. Freyja and her partner Zella Aguilar, however, had come up with a seemingly workable solution, at least on paper, to the problem of sending living tissue through the portal. J-Day, unfortunately, had brought the whole program, along with everything else, to an abrupt end and the opportunity to test the theory never presented it's self.

Freyja had assumed that the mysterious shadow entity, that had backed the project and held the entire research team in fear, most likely perished on that day as well, but as their identity was never actually known to her, or any other members of the team, she couldn't be sure.

Sill fearing the possible consequences of reveling anything, concerning the old project, she added to her former response with…..

…"But It probably wouldn't be for hundreds of years from now and that presupposes we survive this war"….

…."

. …."It really doesn't matter when, even if it's ten thousand years from now"…Allison stated…. "As long as it gets done someday and you seem to agree that some day it might happen. You just answered your own question, on how those people a thousand years ago could know about what's going to happen."….

….. "So you're implying that the old Gods of the Æsir…including my namesake came from…. the"…..Freyja paused for a moment as an incredulous look came over her face, then both in unison said…

…. "The future"….

Freyja thought for a moment and the look of disbelief left her face as she became lost in thought. The little talk she had just had with this little fourteen year old girl, seemed to have put new light on many questions that she had always wondered about. Her Father's strange preoccupation with the old myths had always mystified her, but now it was like it had all suddenly fallen together.

She thought back to her days working under that dark shadowy presence, in the secluded underground laboratory and representatives of that unseen power "suggesting" that she should give lectures on the impossibility of backward time travel. She wondered about her Father's strange disappearance. She never could believe the official story, that it was simply the work of Siberian highwaymen. Had he perhaps been getting too close to something, that certain individuals wished to remain a mystery and out of the public's eye?

… "Aunt Freyja!…hello!…. you there?"…Allison shouted to an unresponsive Freyja.

….. "Oh sorry! I was just thinking"…Freyja exclaimed, somewhat startled, as she returned from her thoughts.

….. "So anyway, what do ya think…about my ideas…Ragnarök and all?"…Allison inquired with just the hint of a proud grin, as she sat in her bed with her arms crossed.

Freyja's look of amusement and disbelief was now long gone and had been replaced by a look of genuine curiosity and wonder as she replied…

….. "Allison sweetheart, like I said before, I really don't know. I'm not saying I don't believe you"…..and as she looked her in the eye, with a very serious and sincere look about her, continued…. "I mean that, I really do. All we talked about does make sense in a way and I suppose it could be possible, but there's no way of telling. All we can do is just wait and see what happens"….

….. "Ya that or get prepared, just in case"…Allison commented…

….. "And how would we do that?…prepare for the end of everything?"…Freyja inquired with a concerned look…

…. "According to the story, two normal people will survive Ragnarök to begin life in the new world after the war. Nothing was ever mentioned about Freyja getting killed or participating in the final battle. According to what you told me, she was assumed to have survived in Fólkvangr, along with all those she had chosen to be with her, to help out in the repopulation process"….Allison explained…. "I'm not saying that you're that same Freyja, but you do have the same name, you have the same basic characteristics as she did and….well… if the legends are some sort of prophecy….who knows?…something to think about."…..

This time, when Allison put forth another one of her rather bizarre ideas, Freyja was not really all that shocked. Actually, she found the theory a bit intriguing, even a little scary, as she apprehensively responded with…..

….. "Yes, it is something to think about…. that's for sure."…..she buried her head in hands for a moment then continued….

...… "But I just don't know...You seem to be casting me in the role of some sort of super hero and that's not what I am. If what you seem to think I am is true, then it would be up to me to decide who will survive and who gets thrown to the wolves. I couldn't do that. I may be like Freyja in some ways, but not in all. I'm suppose to take the ones I choose to live to some place called Sessrumnir or Fólkvangr. Helvíti!…I don't even know where that is! I'm suppose to be the commander of the Valkyrjur and maybe their just symbolic of some sort of elite combat unit, but I'm not much of a soldier let alone a leader"….she let out a sigh and added…

...… "You obviously have me confused with somebody else"….

… "No, you're not like her…in all ways"…Allison commented, then added…..

…. "Not yet anyway, just think about it…allt í lagi?"…..

Freyja didn't really know what to think by this point, she felt confused, lost, but as it appeared that the conversation was coming to an end, she started to feel slightly relived. As a warm relaxed smile returned to her face, she softly replied…..

…. "OK…I will…. ÉG lofa"….

Allison stretched her arms out, while yawning and said…

…. "This has been the best talk we've had so far, but I really need to get some sleep…got a long day at the kennel tomorrow"….

Freyja looked down at her with a soft smile and said….

…. "That it has…that it has"…and added…

…. "Takk….takk fyrir"(Thanks…thanks a lot)…..

Allison looked back at her with a puzzled look and asked…

…. "For what?"….

… "For what you told me about your Dad"…Freyja replied… "Takk"…

….. "Ya…I thought that would interest you"….Allison replied, with a impish little grin..

She leaned over and kissed Allison on the forehead and said….

….. "Góða nótt, sweetheart"….

….. "Góða nótt"…Allison replied, then added with a beaming smile…

….."Mamma"...

She lay back into her pillow, as Freyja tucked her in and gave her a quick kiss on the fore head, turned off the lava lamp and returned to the main room to do some final tidying up in preparation of the Sergeant's return. As Allison drifted off to sleep, a happy contented little smile adorned her face. She was where she had wanted to be every since the day when everything blew up. She was home again, in her own little room, in a home with her own Mom and Dad. There were still a few "details" concerning Mom and Dad that needed to be worked out, but she knew now it was just a matter of time. While Allison still loved her King Arthur stories, she no longer had to rely on them for her peace of mind. Palmdale was a long time ago. Her flesh and blood mom and dad from there, while she would always remember them, seemed as if a fleeting distant dream. Like the tales of King Arthur and his Knights, it was as they had never really been.

The only other thing that was missing in her life was Kyle. All figured he was dead, but she knew better now. She didn't know how she knew but she knew. These long talks she had with Freyja always seemed to energize her in some strange way, physically and mentally. While his name was never mentioned in the course of the conversation, she had thought about him.

Allison oft times wondered why it was, that on what she had at the time perceived to be their first meeting, that she had been so taken by him, why it seemed as though they "fit like a glove" as a couple and came away with the feeling that she had known him for a lifetime. Now she knew why. She had a memory like an elephant and never missed a detail, but sometimes memories could be blocked, if they are too painful to bear. Now the pain was receding, her mind full and clear.

She didn't much believe in fate, but history did have a way of repeating it's self. She had lost him once before and he had returned. Allison knew now she would see him again. This time it would be different though, as she was no longer the frightened little girl from Palmdale, to be taken advantage of by every two bit charlatan and self proclaimed Messiah, to lead her astray. She was older and wiser now. She had resources and assets of which Cameron had left to her, that she never had the opportunity to investigate, hidden deep in the bowels of Death Valley to assist her. This time she would hunt him and find him. It was just a matter of time and she had the patience.


	8. Ch7 The Fires That Burn after Midnight

A/N…

**1**.…. When I first started this story, while I had a basic idea of where I was going with it, I hadn't realized the depth that I would be going into, regarding Allison's past. That said, this story, originally to be a John/Cameron story, will center around Allison and her past experiences and associations. It will end shortly after her death and Cameron embarking on her original Sky-Net mission, perhaps to the where she gets sent back in time.

There will be another story after that, that will coincide with season one and perhaps two of TSCC and will progress beyond the second season of the TV series, in yet another story. So the present story would be, if I were writing the series, season one and season one of TSCC would be essentially season two of my story, season two would be season three etc. Seasons two and on (of my story), will of course , center around John and Cameron.

**2.** …I said it at the beginning of Ch.1 and I will repeat it again…

In the actual series, we never did get much information on the character Allison Young. In the AFPD we learn that John Connor had chosen her for something but that's all. The popular idea that she had any sort of relationship with him is just speculation. Not much is known of her personality or role in the resistance.

In light of this I will present a rather new take on the character, but will also try to keep her in tune with what we actually _do_ know about her. Also, the notion that she had some sort or romantic relationship with John, I have always had a hard time with, if for no other reason, the tremendous age difference that would exist between them. In the original (future John's) time line, he would be in his forties while she would still be in her teens.

**3.**…It has been brought to my attention that my excessive use of quotation marks, to emphasize certain words, is irritating. I went over some of my previous chapters and have to agree. Henceforth, I will use _italic's_ for this purpose. I hope it doesn't get confusing, as I also use italic's to show thoughts, but I think I have written everything in such a manor that that should not be a problem. Let me know if it is.

I will also, when I have time, start editing previous chapters to amend this situation.

**4.**… This chapter will deal with interactions between Sergeant Mc Cook and Freyja and the mystery surrounding her will deepen. The next chapter, which I hope to have ready this following week, will be about Allison and her rising among the ranks of the resistance. It will end with a rather strange encounter, she will have, in Death Valley.

**5.….. Icelandic/Norse names, words, phrases, etc. that will appear in this chapter, that will not have the translations available in the text itself… **

**(1) ÉG er hrifinn af þér**… I like you, but not in a casual sense…. It would be like saying "I like you a lot" in a romantic sense. Literally it comes out to "I'm infatuated at you." You might say it to someone you thought you were falling in love with, but still weren't sure and might not have the nerve yet to actually say …."ÉG elska þig" (I love you)

**(2) Björn**…. Freyja Björndóttir's Father, but also means "The Bear" in Icelandic and Old Norse

**(3) Seiðr**… An ancient form of Norse sorcery, introduced to the them by the goddess Freyja. It was practiced mainly by female sorcerers (völva or seiðkona), as the Norse, during the Viking age, looked down on it as "unmanly." An extremely powerful form of magic, it was characterized by, among other things, "soul travel" , the ability to alter time and destiny, shift one's shape and transgress the boundaries, set by birth and gender, along with that of human and animal. The participants would work themselves into a trance ( dance the Seiðr) and surrender totally to their passions and desires.

While it may have been looked at as "unmanly", it was practiced by their chief god, Odinn himself, along with the elite combat unit's or "shock troops" the Berserkers, who shunned the use of armor and would work themselves into a trance before a battle. They would charge in wearing bearskins only (sometimes naked), in a total frenzy (beserkergang) where they would loot, plunder and kill indiscriminately (sometimes not discriminating between friend or foe). It was said that they possessed the strength, endurance and toughness of wild bears and (according to ledged) could actually morph into one, during the heat on battle.

**(4) Njöðr**….. In Norse mythology he was the Vanir god of the wind, sea and Father of the goddess Freyja, by his sister, who's name was never mentioned. He was married, temporally, to the giantess Skaði, the goddess of winter, the hunt and sister to the wolves.

**(5) Hvítabjörn**….. Polar Bear, literally "The White Bear."

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to TSCC or are they my creation. This work is strictly armature (obviously) and I receive no compensation of any kind. The character of "Freyja Björnsdóttir", however is of my creation totally.**

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**The Story of a life:**

**Chapter 7: The Fires That Burn After Midnight**

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**March 17, 2022**

**New Los Angeles, Ca.**

**Tunnel "C"**

**0145 Hrs.**

**.**

Sergeant Mc Cook was slowly but surely making his way back to his quarters, but not without some difficulty. Every since Allison had come into his life he had more or less sworn off his old drinking habits. Tonight however he had taken exception to his new found sobriety. He had graduated his training class and as it was pretty much a tradition with him to have a drink or two with the boys on such an occasion. He figured that just one or two would be of no harm. He had been extremely pleased with the way this last group of cadets had finally turned out. Even that snot nosed, over weight spoiled rich kid from Tacoma had made the grade and was looking to become an asset to the resistance forces.

In all reality he loved his job and while he would never admit it to himself, let alone anyone else, he loved the cadets that he trained. He was rough, tough, mean and just a bit cruel and sadistic during the training course, but it had to be that way. Life, especially in this new world, had no sympathy for weaklings. To survive you had to be strong beyond measure and after four weeks with him, if they could adapt and toughen up enough to handle his crap, then they just might have a chance.

Nothing gave him greater personal satisfaction than to take a group of young men that would be doomed to a life of misery and despair, with little to no chance of ever improving their lot in life, condemned to a hopeless existence in the dark dingy confines of the "pit," with their only respite being eight hours of back breaking toil and replacing it with a life in the military.

In the new military their lives would be in constant peril. The life expectancy of many could be measured in mere weeks. Here however, they and their families would be guaranteed proper nutrition and adequate medical attention. They would have, while not necessarily new, clean dry clothing and a_ relatively_ sanitary, safe place to sleep. Here they would have their basic human dignity returned to them. Here they could have hope.

As he had been especially proud of this particular group and especially the Sea-Tac recruit, he had supplied a case of the _good stuff_, a case of pre-war Irish whisky, for the occasion, from his personal stock. He had been particularly careful as not to over indulge, in order to avoid intoxication, but be that as it may, his many weeks of abstinence had taken their toll. While he was far from a state of total inebriation, he was certain that he would be having a difficult time hiding his indulgence from Freyja. He knew all to well her opinion of those who were given to strong drink. As he drew nearer and nearer to his goal, he was desperately trying to collect his thoughts and come up with a plan, to avoid her chastisement as much as possible. The best he could come up with was to simply thank her for working late, as quickly and briefly as possible, while taking great care to not breath in her direction and dismiss her for the night. He soon realized, however, that that plan would be out of the question.

In the past few days, their had been a dramatic rise in violent crimes committed by interlopers from the "pit," in these more remote regions of the mid level tunnel system. At this late of an hour, a lady, especially of Freyja's looks, would have absolutely no business wandering about the lonely, dimly lit corridors. There was no way around it. He would just have to "man up" and take his medicine. After she made an end to reading him the "riot act," the Icelandic version most likely, he would humbly ask her forgiveness, promise to not let it happen again and invite her to sleep in with Allison for the night. With trembling hands and a feeling of dread, that even the capacious amounts of liquor he had consumed was failing to quell, he opened the door and stepped inside.

Upon entering he was suddenly relived, when instead of being assailed by a barrage of Icelandic curses and exclamations, he beheld the long lanky form of Freyja Björnsdóttir slumped over his desk, sound asleep, with a relaxed peaceful look on her face. He let out a sigh of relief and thought to himself…..

….."_Whew!…you got lucky ol buddy…'saved by the bell'… as they use to say"…._

He sat, ever so softly, down onto his cot and started unlacing his boots. He figured he could just lay down and drift off to sleep. When Freyja finally awoke, she would see that he was back home, asleep and return to her quarters. Nobody would ever be the wiser as to his condition this night. As he quietly slipped off his boots, prepared to lay back and pass out, he cast one look back at Freyja across the room, sprawled out at her work station.

He noticed this desk, normally a total disarray of papers, books and half full cups of cold coffee, now all neatly arranged and organized. Glancing about the room at his immense stock of trade goods, that had previously been strewn about in a state of total chaos, he now saw neatly arranged rows and isles with makeshift but neat little signs, indicating the type of goods in each isle. It seemed to him as if everything she did in his employ she totally poured her heart into. He paid her well, but Freyja always seemed to go far beyond the call of duty. Looking back at her sprawled over his desk, he thought to himself….

…"_No Jim, you can't let her sleep like that, besides, there's no way in hell_ _you can allow her to go wandering around the tunnel system alone, this time of night"….._

…She was without a doubt the healthiest person he had ever meet, but still, he could just imagine the stiff neck she'd have upon wakening and it just wasn't right. Freyja had been working her fingers to the bone for him and she deserved better. On top of that she was his friend, his best friend, probably his only _real_ friend. The Sergeant shook his head slightly, let out a sigh and committed himself to what had to be done. ….

….."Ok Jimmy, you know what you need to do, just try not to breath on her and take your medicine like a man"…He muttered to himself as he rose up, made his way over to her and gently shook her shoulder….

…."Freyja…hey Freyja…come on, wake up…I'm back home"…..He beckoned, while lightly shaking her shoulder. She was out for the count, oblivious to his intrusion. He shook her again, a bit firmer this time and said…..

….."Come on, come on now, that's no way to sleep. You need to lay down in a bed"…

….."_Hell",…_he thought to himself….."_As out of it as she is, I don't think I have to worry about her noticing my drunkenness. I'll just let her have my bunk over there and find myself a blanket and a nice corner to pass out in. That will work out perfect"…._

He gazed at her momentarily, sleeping peacefully at the desk. She looked so contented and relaxed with her head resting on her arms. Her long straw colored braids dangled off the edge, half way to the floor. The dark navy blue sweat shirt had rode up slightly, exposing a tantalizing glimpse of the small of her back and those same urges he felt whenever she was close to him began to surface once more. This time, however, he was having a difficult time simply putting the ideas out of his head, as he had in the past.

…."_Ya know Jim"…._he though to himself…_"you know damn well how she feels about you, it's so obvious that Ray Charles could see it. She really_, _really likes you and you, of course, know how you feel about her, underneath the act. So why are you denying her?…. denying yourself?"….._

….."Who!….hold on there Jimbo! "…he said to himself, just under his breath, as he realized where his thoughts were going….

….._"Don't let the whisky start talking and make you try something stupid, with a girl half your age and a good friend at that. Hell, even if you were to follow through with that idea, in your condition, you probably couldn't even 'get it up' anyway so get a grip…ok?"…._

With that thought in mind, he continued shaking her, until he noticed her eyes partially open. He was fully expecting her to wake with a start, but much to his surprise, she just remained as she was. With her head still resting on her arms, she just stared up at him for a while, through half open eyes, with a peaceful serene look about her. In the following few moments of silence he should have felt tense, as if waiting for the "other shoe to drop," but this time it was different. It was most likely due to the mass quantities of alcohol he had consumed, he figured, but there was not the slightest feeling of apprehension on his part. The situation was playing out totally different than he had expected. She seemed different somehow. The only word that came to his mind was…well "natural"…she seemed so natural.

After a few moments of silence she spoke. With her head still resting on her arms, she fully opened her eyes and with just the slightest hint of a smile quietly said….

…."Glad you're back Jim"…

She yawned as she sat up in the chair, stretched her arms out a few times then said…

….."I wanted to be awake when you got home, but I guess I dozed off for a bit…sorry"….

…."Oh, that's fine Freyja…don't worry about it"…James exclaimed, then continued on while being extra careful not to talk directly at her, so as not to give her a whiff of his breath… "I know it's late and I meant to be back a lot sooner, but….but…. well some things just…ah…came up, and I uh"….

A somewhat amused look came over her face, as the Sergeant stammered on searching for an excuse for his tardiness and his clumsy attempts to conceal his drunkenness. She narrowed her eyes and quickly put on a rather stern look, as she cut him off with…..

…"James,…you've been drinking again…haven't you?"…

….._"Oh shit!"…._he exclaimed to himself as the blood drained from his face…_"so much for getting off the hook"…._

As he mentally braced himself for the barrage of stern admonishments punctuated with a few rather nasty sounding Icelandic phrases, of which he was certain to be quickly forthcoming, he noticed the mock frown melt from her face. It was replaced by her warm smile as she said, somewhat playfully…

….. "Had ya going there for a bit, didn't I?"…

A feeling akin to the feeling a man strapped in the electric chair might have, as the direct line from the governor rang just as the executioner was about to throw the switch, swept over him. With a great sense of relief in his voice, he went on to explain…

…."Well ya…I had a few with the guys and I really didn't mean to but"….

"Hey look"…Freyja cut him off ….. " It's ok, alright? …. Your last night with the guys and like Allison would say, 'it's a guy thing'. I don't want you to ever think you need to make excuses to me…for _anything_, you are what you are and I have to accept that. That's what"…

…she paused for a moment and with a slight lump in her throat continued on….

….."_friendship_….is all about, so if you feel the need to let go once in a while I can accept that"…then added somewhat pointedly, with a slightly stern look….

….. "As long as it doesn't become a _habit_….Allt í Lagi?"….

….. "Oh of course! ma'am"… James exclaimed….. and after she gave him a quick cutting glance, corrected….

….. "Freyja"…

…. "Much better Mannsnafn….much, _much_ better"…she assured him as she went on to ask…

…. "so anyway…Þú lofar?"…(you promise?)

…. "Ég lofa"…he assured her sincerely.

While she outwardly maintained a somewhat unyielding attitude concerning his present condition, inwardly she couldn't have been more pleased…..

….."You could use some coffee"….she stated while directing him towards the little table and crates. While the tone of her voice was slightly indicative of disappointment yet forgiving, for his "falling off the wagon", disappointment was the last thing she was feeling. His little tradition of celebrating with a graduating class had been made known to her days in advance by Allison and she was fully expecting it. Actually she would have been disappointed had he returned "sober as a judge" and this was, she hoped, the opportunity she was waiting for. While not actually drunk, he had had just enough to loosen him up a bit. He had just enough "Dutch Courage," she hoped, to temporarily get over his girl phobia and for her plan to work….

….."_Ok Freyja, this may be your chance. The opportunity might not present it's self again for some time, so please don't screw it up"…_She thought to herself while starting a pot of coffee…

….."So how did your class turn out, they all make the grade?"….she inquired causally, while setting the coffee pot on an electric hot plate, she had discovered while organizing Mc Cook's inventory …

…."Oh ya"…James replied from across the room…"They all did very well, especially the kid from Tacoma. I'm really proud of him, considering how he was before".

…."Tacoma?…his name wouldn't happen to be Gene Scott would it?" ….She inquired cautiously.

….."Mater of fact it is, you know him?"

Turning around on the crate he was sitting on, the Sergeant relaxed while leaning back and resting his elbows upon the table. He watched as Freyja, with her back to him, casually undid her braids while going about preparing the coffee. She tossed her head a few times as long thick locks cascaded down her back, half covering her petite derrière. He mentally chastised himself, for noticing that her pants were just tight enough, in a few places, to revile the fact that she wasn't wearing any underwear, as she gracefully moved around, gathering up cups and other provisions for the coffee.

Next to Allison, she was without a doubt the best thing that had happened to him, since the war began. He now fully admitted this to himself, along with the fact that he did lust for her. There was this strange feeling that he couldn't explain and he more or less chalked it up to the effects of alcohol, but he just couldn't shake the idea out of his head that she felt the same way about him. Even when he wasn't drunk, however, he had noticed that she seemed awfully fond of him at times.

Be that as it may, he was a fifty year old man, a dirty old man at that, he mussed to himself. Even if she was half his age, she would still be young enough to be Allison's older sister. Never the less, he decided to just let go for the rest of the evening, enjoy the view and the company. After all, what was wrong with just a little fantasy, no one would ever know. Allison was asleep in her room, separated by just a blanket hanging from the ceiling and could awaken at any time. There was simply not enough privacy for things to get out of hand. With that thought as a safety net, he affirmed his decision to simply relax and enjoy her company for once.

….."Já, …I know him quite well"…She responded coolly, while adding the coffee grounds to the now boiling water.

….."Oh,….uh…he like a boyfriend or something?"…He inquired casually, yet with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

Even though he knew that their relationship was just as good friends and that it was inconceivable that she didn't have a young man in waiting somewhere, the idea of her having an intimate relationship with another was oddly disturbing to him. He was greatly relieved by her rather exasperated sounding response, while still working on the coffee project with….

…."What!….you think me?.. and Gene…that…that…_Hringvöðvi!…._oh James! _please_!...

And if he could have seen her face, her rather irritated tone would have been betrayed by a sly little grin, that appeared as she sensed his displeasure, over the possibility of her _having_ a boyfriend.

When he inquired …"he like a boyfriend or something?"….just the stress in his voice was all she needed to hear. It spoke volumes and totally confirmed all of Allison's previous observations and assumptions, concerning her Dad's feelings toward her. She now had a "green light" to proceed with her plan. She turned to face him and continued in a more serious tone with…..

…."And besides Jim, I don't _have_ boyfriends, helvíti!…I thought _everybody_ knew that"…as she shook her head in feigned astonishment….

….."Why do you think I'm know as 'Icy'?…and if I _did _have one, I can _assure you _it wouldn't be someone like him"...she finished on a slightly offended note, turned back around and started to filter the hot coffee through a little cheesecloth sack.

…"Well uh…I'm sorry…I didn't know….I always assumed your nickname was because you came from Iceland…I guess" …he resounded sheepishly….

…."Nei…nei, it's not because I'm Icelandic"….she stated in an amused tone…."Matter of fact, about half the people here think I'm German or Swedish"…she added with a slight chuckle.

…_."Well Jim ol boy, you're probably the closest person to her and the last to know. Hell everyone in this entire shit hole of a city probably knows more about her than you do. Great…now not only does she think I'm a drunk but a total rube as well."_…he mused to himself, as he turned back around, folded his hands in front of him and stared blankly down at the table.

He felt a tingly sensation shoot down his spine and settle in his gut, as Freyja came up behind him, set a couple cups of coffee down on the table, brushed her fingers through his hair, down the back of his neck and slightly across his back, as she smoothly settled on to his crate, beside him.

Before she even spoke, as he turned toward her, the room seemed to disappear in a blur and all he could see was her staring back at him, with her deep light blue eyes and silky straw colored hair, cascading down around her. His breath momentarily left him, as she reached up and lightly stroked his stubbly face and before his breath could return, in a soft soothing voice she spoke….

…."Hæ hæ….stór strákur (Hey hey…big guy)…Fyrirgefðu… Allt í lagi? (I'm sorry…OK?). …I wasn't making fun of you, it's just the situation I thought was funny. You're a good man Jim"….she half closed her eyes, as she again reached up and lightly ran her finger tips across his cheek, while adding almost in a whisper….

…."Já, mjög góður maður (a very, very good man)" …before she went on to explain…

…."and quite frankly, that's one of the things I really like about you James. You _don't _listen to all the gossip…í _kjaftæði!_ (the bullshit!). You take things as they come and decide for _yourself_. You're your own man totally and you don't _know_ how much I admire that. Like with Allison. You knew all about the rumors surrounding her, but you paid them no heed. You took her in and gave her a home, when most wanted nothing but to see her expelled from the colony, at best. Look how she's doing now and its all due to you. You're not like all the rest. I've said it before and I'll say it again"…..and with that she lightly caressed his chin, locked her azure blue eyes with him as she whispered …

…."Þú ert einn af a góður…..one of a kind Jim…you're one of a kind"…

He stared back at her momentarily, totally numb, totally transfixed by the image looking back at him. He had always thought of her as a bit more than attractive, as did anyone who had ever laid eyes on her, but tonight even that couldn't begin to describe what he beheld. He had never seen her, or anyone, like this…ever. It was if an actual aura was surrounding her, radiating an energy he had never felt nor could he describe. Her deep sky blue eyes seemed to glimmer like two gleaming star sapphires. It was if she wasn't even human but rather like some sort of….well a like a….goddess….from some old forgotten legend. Her thigh, just ever so slightly brushed alongside his sending a warm pulsating energy through his entire being. He knew now that his former assessment of his possible _performance_ with her, should it come to that, to be totally false, as he felt blood pounding with a vengeance into and rapidly inflating a certain part of his anatomy.

She was coming on to him and coming on strong. A passionate energy seemed to be emanating from her, as blue hot flames started to build, deep within her glistening sapphire like eyes. The nickname of "old icy" seemed as a joke at this moment. He felt like the fourteen year old boy again, who after many weeks of trying, was finally faced with the possibility of getting into a girls pants for the first time… scared out of his wits.

As attractive and inviting the possibility seemed to him, especially after the revelation that she was "unattached," the fact remained that she was a very young lady, more like one of Allison's contemporary's than his. While she was definitely the instigator of the present situation, there seemed not to be even the slightest hint of lasciviousness about her. She just seemed totally natural and flowing. On his part, however, he felt a pang of guilt. He felt dirty for what he was feeling toward her and just a bit frightened.

…."_My god!…what do I have here".._he thought to himself as he struggled to regain his good sense…"_Thank God Allison's here and were not actually alone together!…she's like some sort of succubus!…Oh no James she's a good woman, a very good friend…but like an angel?…or maybe_…_ah… ah….what is she!"…._

Freyja sensed the Sergeant's tenseness over the situation and decided that a quick "tactical retreat" would be the best strategy for the moment, but not without a final punch to cover her withdrawal. She gently caressed his cheek, continued looking him dead in his eyes as she stated ever so softly….

….."Já…you're like no one I've ever met….one of a kind"…and gave him a quick little peck on his lips before adding crisply…

….."even if you _can't_ add two and two in your books"… then gave him a very sharp yet playful jab in his ribs, with her elbow, breaking the spell. She grabbed the adjoining crate, pulled it toward her and transferred on to it to it, giving him back his personal space.

James Mc Cook rubbed his bruised ribs as he watched Freyja calmly take a sip of her coffee, as if nothing had happened.

…._"Well whatever she is,…whew!…she can sure hit!"…._He thought to himself as he continued to rub his aching side. _….."Allison must be teaching her a few things"…._

Seeing that the previous, rather explosive, situation was now somewhat defused, he sighed a slight sigh of relief. He gazed upon the Nordic beauty that had sat herself beside him for a moment, as myriad of thoughts raced through his mind…

….._"That was close ol buddy!…..God only knows what might have happened if Allison had not been in the next room"…_

…_.."Well what exactly do you think would have happened Jim?"…._

…_.."What would have happened!….you no damn well what we would have been doing now!"….._

…_.."Oh for Christ sakes!… Jimbo….you really think you're something don't you. What the hell?….you Mr. irresistible now?…..another Don Juan?…..God's gift to the ladies?"…_

…"_Well I don't know about that, but the way she was coming on to me"…_

… "_Coming on to you!….Jim my ol pal….get a grip…all she did was try to apologize for hurting your feelings for Christ sakes!…..you're the one who's making a big deal over it ..not her…you're the one that was getting all aroused…not her ….and she's the one who finally broke away…not you"…._

…_.. "Well OK, if she wasn't making a play for me then what about the way she touched me?…the way she rubbed up against me?…that kiss?"…._

… "_Hey…you were both sitting on the same crate…ya know?…it would be rather hard not to rub against each other, don't ya think?…that don't mean anything…..and she's never touched you before?… hell Jim, she does that all the time, it's just the way she is and don't tell me she's never gave you, or anyone else for that matter, a quick little kiss. She's just a very physical type of person…that's all….don't mean anything"….._

… "_Well you might be right on that….but that look she gave me, that fire in her eyes, how do you explain that?…..when a woman looks at you like that, there's only one thing on their mind….you know that"….._

…_.. "And just how in the hell would you know? You an expert on women now?…..stop and think, my drunken friend, just how many women you been with since J-Day….or even before that?"…._

…_.. "Well a few now and again in times past"….._

… "_Ya…very few I might add…since J-Day what has it been? one? maybe two?….if you can count that tunnel whore you boned, or rather 'attempted' to bone, about a year ago during one of your drunken escapades…I'll bet she's still laughing about that night"…._

…_. "Ok…ok…ya, I'll admit I'm no expert, but that look in her eyes….that was the real Mc Coy…it's instinctive"…._

…_.. "Instinctive because you're drunk…..but lets just say you're right, she's literally pissing her pants for a chance to hop in the sack with you….what's so bad about that? After all, you know you wouldn't mind, she already said she's single and available, you're both consenting adults, or rather would be if she were to consent, which I seriously doubt."….._

… "_So the fact that she's probably closer to Allison's age than mine doesn't bother you?…Christ!, if I were allow that to happen the next thing you know I might be wanting to do my own daughter!…No, it's got to end now. She's just a very young girl with a crush on a older man….it happens all the time. I'll just have a little talk with her about it. No big deal"…._

… "_So you're just going to announce to her that super stud James Mc Cook can not consent to being her dream lover?….beg her not to be heartbroken over the big disappointment?…ya right….go ahead… make a total ass of yourself. I'll bet she could get together with that whore you tried to make it with and have a real good laugh about your delusions."…_

…_.. "Whatever…it's got to be done"…._

…_.. "Ok, suit yourself pal, just don't come crying to me when she bursts out laughing"…_

Sergeant Mc Cook had never been a man of words and the task before him now was as difficult as ever he had faced, much like the time he had to break the news to Allison that Kyle was MIA and presumed dead.

While the situation between him and Freyja had come to a head this night, the more he thought about it, this wasn't the first time he had noticed certain tell tail signs of a possible infatuation developing. It had been coming on now for some time and he had just been either too blind to realize what was happening, or simply refused to accept it. It was obvious to him now, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she most definitely had a thing for him. The worst part of this whole mess was that he knew now that _he_ felt the same way about _her_, but it just wasn't right.

He swallowed, took a breath and looked upon her sitting at the table beside him. She still seemed to have a glow about her as she sipped the coffee. She seemed so at peace and content just being close to him and he was about to pull the rug out from under her. He didn't know what he would say, or how to gracefully put it. He would just have to make some conversation and play it by ear…the best he could.

….. "So anyway Freyja"…he started in, but before he could continue she looked up from her coffee, turned to him and cut him off with….

….. " Jim!, good to see you're back. You've sure been quiet ...been thinking about something?"…She piped up cheerfully…

….._ "Jesus H. Christ!…this is going to be hard"…._He though to himself, as she stared back at him expectantly

…_.. "_Well ya I have…..Freyja….uh…look, I've been thinking and uh….well we need to talk"….

She noticed him still clutching the side where she had jabbed him and felt a little twinge of guilt. As he stumbled for the right words, she again cut him off with…

…. "Hey Jim, I think I should first apologize for my _behavior _a minuet ago. I got a little carried away I guess. I shouldn't have done that…Allt í lagi?"….

….._ "Well now. isn't that just like her"…._he thought to himself with a sigh of relief…."_when all looks dark, she always manages to brighten things up, maybe this awkward little discussion won't be necessary after all"…._

…_.._"Hey look"….he began confidently …. "don't worry about it…Allt í lagi?…we've _all_ been through hell, we've all known loneliness in this new shit hole world and it can make you do some strange things, but no mater how bad things get, you will _always_ have us to turn to. I made you my business partner because you're very good at it and I could use the help…but"….he paused for a moment and continued on with a hint of uneasiness ….

…."but…well…there's more to it than that. We want you to stay on with us Freyja. You're family as far as we're concerned and the door's _always_ open to you"…

She simply stared back at him, her face totally aglow as she reflected back on Allison's words..."he doesn't want to see you go…he wants you to stay with us"...and after a brief moment softly replied….

…. "Takk,….þakka þú svo mikill Mannsnafn….takk (Thanks….thank you so much James…thanks)…..you have no idea how that makes me feel"….and while she was being mindful of not being too forward with him, as she sensed a bit of tenseness returning, she couldn't help but to reach over and gently draw him toward her to give him a tender little kiss on his cheek, while saying almost inaudibly …..

…."Þú ert einn af a góður….það besta" (you're one of a kind….the very best)….

While he again became a bit concerned over the return of her rather amours overtures, only one though came to his mind, as he gazed back into those fiery deep blue eyes…..

…_. "Oh dear Lord…would it have been so hard to have just waited another twenty years or so to have me born?"…._

Freyja leaned into the table a bit as she propped her head up with her right arm, fist buried in her cheek while looking back at him thoughtfully. After a moment of contemplation, on her part, she stated very sincerely…

…. "Jim, I meant every word of what I just said…It totally made my week to hear what you just said, but seriously…are we on the same page here?"… as she straightened back up, tossed her long flowing locks around behind her and crossed her arms….

….. "I mean what _exactly_ did you think I was _referring_ to?"…..a sly little smile crossed her lips, as she reached over and briefly massaged his bruised side as she continued….

….. "You know…when I said I was sorry for getting carried away"….

…. _"What?…what was she referring to?"…._he pondered to himself, as a perplexed look came over him….

…._ "Well it's obvious….I assumed she was referring to the way she was…her advan"….._his still aching side, that she was massaging, sent a sudden revelation to him…..

…. "_Oh shit!…that wasn't it at all_, _she was apologizing for the little kidney punch, but I assumed she meant the way she was….Oh holy Christ Jimmy! You did it again….QUICK, foot out of mouth!"…._

….. "Oh ya!…that!"….he exclaimed, while suddenly grasping his side for effect….

…. "No need to apologize, I'll live…I've been hit a lot harder than that before…err.. uh…not that it wasn't a good solid punch…what I mean is…ah…well"…..As he found himself lodging his foot deeper down his throat with every word, Freyja just gave him a knowing but warm smile, reached around to slightly massage his back while lightly placing two fingers up against his lips as she calmly said…..

….. "Jim…it's ok, don't worry about it"…and after a slight pause in a quieter yet very sincere tone simply said….

…. "I know Jim..…I know"…the slight smile was gradually replaced by a very serious expression as she no more that breathed out the words…

…. "elskhugi minn" (my love)…

It seemed to him that whenever she uttered a few words in her native tongue, even though he didn't yet understand them all, there was something about the musical and mysterious way they sounded that he loved, unless they were spoken in a fit of anger of course. He wasn't sure what she had just said, but he knew it was good. The tenseness that he had felt before was returning due to her closeness, but this time it didn't bother or frighten him, as his thoughts turned another direction…

… "_Ok Jimbo…so what if she has some sort of a crush on you?…..what do you think she's going to do?…..forcibly rape you?…get all lewd and smutty with you in front of Allison?, you know she'd never do anything like that, even if she could. Do you think you'll give in to you're carnal desires and go at her right here on the floor? Have some confidence in you're self. You're a grown man. You know right from wrong and won't give in to it. She's a lonely young lady who's become infatuated by you, for some strange reason. Sooner or later she'll meet someone her own age and the situation will resolve it's self. If in the meantime if it makes her happy being around you then what's the big deal?…and you do enjoy her company as well"…._With that last thought in mind, albeit a bit timidly, he returned her smile, brushed a few of the long thick locks that had fallen down in front of her back over her shoulder and said….

… "No Freyja, don't _you _worry about it…..I'll be fine"…

Little goose bumps instantly formed on Freyja's arms as the Sergeant brushed the hair away from her face. It was the first time he had actually touched her other than a handshake, a parting quick kiss on the cheek, like one one would expect a son to give his Mother, or perhaps in the way a Father or older brother might comfort a daughter or kid sister. She felt as if she was thirteen years old again, when Ásbjörn had touched her for the first time, not as his childhood playmate, but in the way a man touches a woman he feels an attraction to. His words were a bit flat and somewhat insensitive, typical of a "macho man" she thought to herself, but his eyes told the truth. She remembered Allison's words ….. "he loves you…he just doesn't know it yet"….and how intuitive she was proving to be.

For all the progress she had made in her little plan, she was still a long way, however, from the home stretch, but come death and the devil she was not about to give up. Before this night was over she would, as Allison had put it, "find a way to enlighten him," of this she was now certain. Noticing his mounting uneasiness, with what was developing and not wanting to undo what she had accomplished thus far, she pulled back a bit and piped up in an almost scolding tone of voice with….

…."James!….you haven't so much as touched your coffee"…and grabbed his cup sampling the now cold contents….

…. "Ish!"…she exclaimed as the tepid liquid filled her mouth…

…. "You can't drink this, I need to freshen it up for you"….as she sprang to her feet and headed toward to hot plate.

As she scurried around starting a fresh batch of coffee she recalled how Allison had descried her Dad as being somewhat "girl shy" and thought to herself….

…._ "She certainly wasn't wrong there…Dauði og djöfull!"… _she exclaimed to herself_… "This guys impossible!…fjandinn!.. and the call ME icy"…._

But a contented little smile returned to her lips, as she remembered the feeling she got when he briefly stoked her hair and the look deep in his eyes, if even for just a fleeting moment. The way he had finally started to soften up to her in those few little moments gave her enough hope to push on….

… "_He's a tough one, that's for sure, but in the end you know he'll be worth it…and besides, when did Freyja Björnsdóttir ever balk at the thought of a challenge. Nothing in life that is worth anything ever comes easy"_….she thought to herself as a new and refreshed sense of resolve came over her.

Even though she had been told that he was "scared of girls", nobody could be _this_ paranoid. Actually he seemed fairly well at ease with her, until she got just a little _too _close and he would tense up and push her away. It was almost as if he had something against her. From what Allison had told her and the things she had observed about him since then and especially tonight, confirming said observations, she knew that this could not possibly be the case. He thought the world of her, it was all to plain, but it seemed as if he thought there was something basically wrong with a possible relationship with her.

She had admitted to him that there were no others in her life and in so many words that she was totally free and available. He knew that their was no way she would be cheating on someone else. So what was his problem? she wondered. For a moment she had a depressing thought… "_Oh God"_…she thought…_ "what if he's….leðurhommi (homosexual)"…._no that couldn't be it at all….. "_Allison would have known and would have warned me…or at least she wouldn't have encouraged me as she had done"…._she reasoned, besides, she had noticed the way he would stare somewhat lustfully at times, when he didn't think she was looking, like any other red blooded male. She quickly dismissed that idea.

As she poured the steaming hot black mucky mixture into the filtering sack, she suddenly remembered something Allison had mentioned about him. She couldn't believe how she could have forgotten it. It wasn't something you could just come out with as a conversation opener, nor was it something that a man with even an inkling of social upbringing would ever ask a lady. It had to be tactfully worked into a conversation somehow. She wasn't sure as how to go about it but at least now there was something concrete to shoot for.

For a moment her thoughts drifted back to the days just prior to J-Day, when she knew that, or rather thought at the time, that her long separation from Ásbjörn would soon be over…no more long lonely nights. The way she felt now was much the same. She totally loved and longed for the big rough around the edges Sergeant and while she was around him, most all of her and his off duty time, it was as if there was this big barrier between them. Every night she would return to her lonely little compartment, but now she new that those days and nights were numbered, it was just a matter of time. The thoughts about J-Day gave birth to yet another idea. Now she knew how to do it, how to bring this rather awkward subject out into the open.

The plan was not without risk however. J-Day held horrid memories for most, herself for sure and most likely James as well. She knew that he had a little girl of his own at one time and reasoned that J-Day was the reason she was no longer around. Be that as it may, it had to be done. She again recalled Allison's words, that she alleged were actually her words…..._"Ride My chariot!...Bring not your pain!... from this dark place we shall flee!"..."Feel My embrace!...Ride My chariot and feel not your loss!"... _and especially_..."Be bold!...Be valiant!...Be brave!"..._

She could not for the life of her ever recall having said those things, but they sure stuck in her mind and the more she thought of them, the more she seemed to identify with them. For some reason Allison seemed to think she was, or at least was some sort of facsimile to, the Freyja of the Æsir, an idea that at the time she thought to be totally preposterous, born out of a young girls wild imagination. There was nothing else, however, that she had told her, so far anyway, that wasn't proving to be the absolute truth. What if she was right about her?, if so what could go wrong? What could stand in her way? She was Freyja….Freyja of the Æsir and that Freyja always got what _she_ wanted, even before Odinn himself.

Returning to the table, she set the Sergeant's cup before him, plopped down on her own seat and chimed….

….."Coffee's up….hot black and stout, just like you like it"…..took a sip of her own and stared straight ahead, as if lost in thought.

…. Mc Cook took a swig, savoring the stout flavor and thought to himself…

…_. "Well if nothing else, she sure can make a mean cup of coffee….it's almost as good as she looks"…_

They sat there together for a while, as Freyja went about her business of giving the Sergeant the run down on business activities, Allison's progress, etc. during his absence. When she had made an end to her report, she looked over at him thoughtfully and said…

…. "Do you remember just a while ago when you said that we should talk about something?"…

She seemed now to be in a more down to earth mood and pretty much back to business as normal. Enough time had now passed that Jim no longer felt as if he was all that much under the influence of strong drink and back to his good sense. He responded with…

….. "Ya, I remember…but you know what Freyja, I really don't think that's all that necessary, now that I'm thinking a little _clearer_."

….. "Nei Jim, I think that's a _wonderful_ idea, after all, when have we ever …well…just talked…not about business, not about Allison, but just talked …..as friends…we _are _friends now, _aren't we_?"…she inquired while turning toward him.

….. "Of _course _we are Freyja, like I said, you're family as far as were concerned"…

…. "Well then it's settled we should talk…just the two of us…get to know each other a little better"…

James began to feel slightly apprehensive as to where she might be taking this, as he inquired…

… "Well…uh…why? ..we know each other ok"….

Freyja spun completely around on her crate to face him, flung her hair around behind her with a toss of her head and replied in an amused tone…

…. "Jim, you just said I was _family._ I'm a partner in your business, not to mention Allison's parental figure, when you're not around, under those circumstances don't you think we should know each other as _best_ we can?…Fjandinn! James"…she exclaimed while throwing her arms out in front of her…

…. "You didn't even know I was _single_!….you thought that one of your cadets might have been my boyfriend !"….and with a slight chuckle she concluded with…

….. "I don't know about _you_ but _I_ wouldn't call that knowing someone, as you put it, 'Ok' "…..

While he still wasn't sure if he was totally comfortable with the idea, he couldn't deny her logic, so after he scratched his head he conceded …

….."Well Freyja, I _suppose_ you're right and seeing as how I have several days off and don't have to get up early tomorrow…or do _you_…well …_I guess _this would be as good a time as any, we _do_ have all night…. I suppose."…

….. "My thoughts _exactly_ Jim"…Freyja interjected in a pleased sounding voice…

….. "But I should warn you, that I'm not much of a conversationalist, as I'm sure you know" ….Jim cautioned her…

She pulled her feet up onto the crate she was sitting on, hugged her knees and stared at him thoughtfully for a moment, then stated…..

… "Jim, you may not know a lot about me, but I think you know _enough_ to realize that while in a conversation with your's truly, you really don't have to say all that much"…

He looked over at her, sitting on the old ammo case in a somewhat fetal position, her head resting atop of her knees staring back at him with a serene peaceful look about her, rocking back and forth ever so slightly. She could get him rather tense at times, but this was usually how she was. There was just something about her that he couldn't explain, a soothing calming effect whenever she was close to him, as long as it wasn't not _too_ close. Sure, she was without a doubt the most attractive looking lady in the colony, but that wasn't it, there was something more. While he was far from what you would call a "ladies man" he had, in times past, known many women as _very_ casual friends. On a scale of one to ten, they would be right up there with Freyja, in the eight through ten category. Whatever this almost magical quality about her was however, they were not even in her league. He no longer even tried to explain it, he just accepted it and was eternally grateful that she had chosen him to be her friend.

Her calm relaxed facial expression slowly started to take on her devilish looking grin, as he thought back to her last comment and couldn't help but to let out a little chuckle, as he found himself in agreement with her and stated….

… " Freyja, I'll have to admit you're right on that, if nothing else that's something we can _both_ agree on."…..they had a little laugh together before Jim asked, with a slight shrug of his shoulders….

….. "So anyway, what would you like to talk about…anything in particular?"….

She unfolded her legs and dropped them back down to the floor, letting her arms dangle loosely between them as she cocked her head to the side gazing up to the ceiling, as if in contemplation. Her fingers laced together as her arms shot forward, cracking her knuckles. She returned her gaze to him and with a slight shrug of her shoulders and a little relaxed sounding sigh, she said somewhat nonchalantly…..

… "Oh I don't know Jim, haven't really gave it much thought, to be honest (she lied), but I suppose just starting from the beginning might be appropriate"…she suggested, as she leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on her knees and gazing contentedly at him, with her chin cradled in her hands, awaiting his response.

…. "You mean like from the time we were born?…a little biography?"….he queried with a slight chuckle…

…. "Sure…why not?"….she affirmed matter of factly with a slight shrug of her shoulders….."Like you said Jim…we have all night,…. could be interesting"….

…. "Well I don't know Freyja" …..the Sergeant replied in a doubting tone, while scratching his head … "Not a whole lot to tell here, born in San Diego, never even finished high school, enlisted in the Marines at seventeen with most of my career as a drill instructor and a two bit hustler. Married once and divorced once…not real interesting"….

…. "Oh I don't know about that"…..Freyja commented, as she continued to stare at him with an admiring look…. "I'll bet you could tell some rather _colorful _stories and as far as being a 'two bit' hustler, as you put it, well you seem to have done OK for yourself here. You sell your self short Jim."….she added emphatically…

….. " Well there _have_ been a few _incidents_"…..James added thoughtfully….. "but nothing you'd find all that interesting I'm sure"….he concluded with a shrug of his shoulders…

…. "Try me"…she insisted…

He thought for a moment, scratched his head and with a new found enthusiasm started in….

….. "Ok, if you really must know,…..there was this time when me and a few of my buddies were on liberty in Singapore"…..

Freyja listened intently as Mc Cook went on about tales of barroom brawls, battlefield scrapes and various other misadventures from various locations circling the globe. The thing that surprised her the most was that, while previously, she had always considered most of the events he was describing to be in the domain of crude ruffians and politically brainwashed soldiers, that were in that situation because they didn't have the intelligence or ambition to make it anywhere else, she was now seeing it in an entirely different light. For some reason, she couldn't explain, his stories were striking a chord deep within her. She found them to be stirring to her soul.

After about a twenty to thirty minuets of listening to Jim's war stories, she commented…

….. "You know what Jim,…I think you've had quite an _interesting_ and colorful life. You're a survivor and a man of action. You may not have much in the way of education, but you've learned buy the school of hard knocks the art of survival. If this war hadn't happened, I think you would have done very well in life…I don't know Jim…I just find the whole thing"…and she let her arms drop back down between her legs, as she raised her head gazing upward for a moment, searching for the right word, then continued

with….

…. "exciting….stimulating"….as she returned her gaze to him and finished off with….

…."quite a bit different than _my_ life"…..as she glanced down to the floor

…. "Ya…what about you?,…your life?"….James inquired…. "After all this whole conversation was your idea"….

….. "Oh of course"…..Freyja acknowledged as she looked back up to him….

….. "My life was much different than your's..not _nearly_ as exciting…..not to say it wasn't a _good _life"….she quickly added…..

… "It was a _very_ good life….a _happy_ life…but _very_ sheltered. Would you believe that I was twenty five years old before I knew much of anything about the world outside of Iceland?"…..She felt a sudden sense of relief, over the fact that the possibly sensitive subject of J-Day might not have to be brought up, in regards to James's prospective, by the way the conversation was turning….

…... "That's when I moved to the LA area, to attend Cal-Tech for my post graduate work"…she continued on, while keeping an eye on the Sergeant's facial expressions, for any sign of a sudden revelation, brought about by the tidbit of information she had just dropped…..

….. "We were working on some _real_ cutting edge stuff, a _nanosecond _away from a technological breakthrough probably as significant as the invention of the wheel it's self. It was so _fulfilling_ and rewarding to be part of that team, so secure to have such a promising career ahead of me"…she went on to say, with a far away look in her eyes…..

… "But you know what Jim?"…..she continued on… "as rewarding as it was, as good of a life that I had, there always seemed to be something missing and think I'm starting to realize what it was"….

He thought for a moment about the life she had prior to J-Day, all the scientific marvels she was describing and the possible fame and fortune it could have resulted in for her. He couldn't imagine how she could have had want for anything. He shrugged his shoulders slightly with a bewildered look on his face and responded with…

….."What could that be Freyja?"…..and added with a slight chuckle…. "sounds to me like you _pretty much _could have had the world on a string"….

…. "Já,…I suppose I could have"…Freyja affirmed…. "But you see their's more to life that just that. It's something that I doubt you can fully realize because you've always had it….You've been yourself. I on the other hand, while always somewhat independent, was always being what others expected of me. I have been _denying_ what and who I really am, besides"….she continued on with a somewhat downcast look about her… "J-Day pretty much ended any possibility of me having 'the world by a string' as you put it, so that's more or less academic anyway." ….she concluded while staring at her feet, that had begun playing with a little dirt clod…..

She had been so concerned as to how the subject of J-Day might affect Jim that she had never stopped to realize how it might affect her, as in her mind she started to relive the whole ordeal.

James stared at the young lady, that had just moments before been so glowing and radiant, now looking a little depressed and despondent. While he was still somewhat tense about doing anything that she might consider an advance on his part, he swallowed, reached over, brushed the hair away from her face and gently lifted her head up by the chin to meet his gaze and said…..

…. "Hey, hey…..that was a rough day for _all_ of us and I heard about how you were so horribly burned and almost died, but you've seemed to have recovered just fine. I don't know if it will make you feel any better or not Freyja, but J-Day ruined a _lot _of peoples plans…you're _not _alone….ya know?"….

She looked back at him, with slightly watery red eyes and replied…..

…. "I'm well aware of that James, but there's more to it than that"…..

She went on to explain her former love for Ásbjörn, being very careful to make it plain to him that she had totally accepted his death and was moving on with her life. She spoke of their long separation and plans to reunite on her birthday, which just happened to be the day after J-Day. She related to him in graphic detail, how the days just prior to that had been the happiest most exciting time of her life, as she hurried around making preparations, followed immediately by the most horrid one could imagine and the years upon years of cold stifling loneliness, after that.

James looked over to her and continued to tenderly brush the hair from her face, much as he would with Allison when attempting to cheer _her_ up. He commented in a very sympathetic voice….

… "Holy Christ Freyja…_that's_ some story"….and as he slightly shook his head, continued on…. "That really had to be rough on ya…whew!…J-Day as a surprise birthday present….I can _see_ why you were so lonely for so long"…..

….. "Já… it _was_"…she agreed emphatically ….. "But that was _long ago _now and we need to move on"…. she declared with the gloom starting to leave her voice, as she stood up and started toward the coffee pot for refills.

Upon returning, she set a fresh cup before the Sergeant, sat down next to him and took a sip of her own. With her normal demeanor fully restored she commented between sips…..

… "Já…..birthdays come and go and most people don't always remember them, all that well, but I guarantee I'll _never_ forget my twenty-eighth"….

James glanced over to her again and took in her proud looking form. He marveled at how, after the pure hell she'd been through, on how she had come through it all in the end, to be the decent, sweet, kind loving creature that she was. The devotion and respect she had displayed to a man she had loved, by remaining chaste for a decade or better after his death, in honor of him, was beyond anything he could possibly imagine. Yes, Freyja Björnsdóttir was remarkable, of this he had known for some time now, but until this night he had no idea. He again noticed an almost supernatural glow surrounding her, as she sat there calmly sipping her coffee and one thought kept coming up in his mind…

… "_Holy Christ James, ….if only…if only you were ten twenty years younger…if only"…_but then another thought came to him, as he continued to take in her radiant beauty. It was saying something to him like …."What's wrong with this picture?"…..

…._ "Whoa there Jimmy!…what did she say about J-Day?…her twenty-eighth birthday? …..That would make her…lets see now 2022 minus 2011 is eleven years…. twenty-eight plus eleven is…is ah…thirty-nine….that would make her what?… thirty-nine?…forty next month?"….._An expression of shock came over him, as he mentally re-did the math and came up with the same conclusion…..

…. "_She's forty years old ol buddy!…nah!… that can't be true!…just look at her….no way in hell!…she was distraught and had her numbers mixed up…ya that's it…but wait a minuet, if she was doing post grad work at the time she would have to have been about that age,…unless she was some sort of child prodigy and that wouldn't surprise me, knowing her…but what about her old boyfriend?… He had just finished his doctoral in England according to her ….he would have to have been about the same age…his late twenties…. Didn't she also say she left Iceland at age twenty-five…a few years before that?….She has to be thirty-nine, almost forty …. according to the numbers..but that can't be!"…._

Now totally confused, he decided that he simply had to find out and there was only one way to know for sure….

…. "Hey…ah Freyja" …he beckoned with a hint of nervousness…..

…. "Já Jim"…she responded sweetly as she turned to him, her face totally aglow….

….. "Can I ask you something"…he inquired sheepishly…

….. "Well of _course _you can Jim…you _know _that"…..she replied assuringly

….. "Well I was wondering…uh well just exactly how…uh"..he stammered while Freyja looked on sweetly, yet somewhat amused….Then blurted out…

….. "Just how old are you?"…..

He thought he saw, for a moment, a very contented and happy looking smile start to form, before she bolted up from her seat, bonked him smartly on the head and jumped back, jamming her fists firmly into her hips. After which she exclaimed….

…. "Dauði og djöfull!….James Mc Cook!…Ég er undrandi á þér!…Ég er hneykslaður!..with all your adventures around the _world_!….a man of the world!…. I would have _thought_ you would have known better!…skítur! You _don't _ask a lady how old she is!…fjandinn! I thought you would _know_ that!…"Dauði og djöfull!….

He looked at her in total bewilderment, as she stood before him with her arms now tightly crossed over her chest and her right toe tapping frantically. He was thinking that his question could possibly invoke some sort of negative reaction on her part, but he had been totally unprepared for the reaction that had ensued. He was starting to wonder if this goddess like creature, that he had become so captivated by, might actually be some sort of raving psychotic.

…. "Well Sergeant!, what do you have to say for your self!"….She demanded behind an unearthly stone faced scowl….

… "Jesus Freyja!"…..He bellowed while holding a hand to the top of his head….

…. "For Christ sakes, I'm _sorry_ ..I know it might have been a _little_ personal, but I never thought it was _that_ big of a deal to you…OK?…Allt í lagi?"….he cried out half angry and half in a pleading tone of voice, as he continued to rub his aching head.

He looked back at her and he thought for a moment he saw the corners on her mouth start to turn up. The scowl softened a bit, then she could no longer contain herself. She burst out as she bent over slightly slapping her knees, straightened fully back up and placed her hands back on her hips. She stood there for a moment, gazing thoughtfully at him with her warm glowing smile and half of her long untamed locks flowing down past her waist, in front of her. She breathed out a light little sigh as she spoke…

….. "Oh James!, James!, James!…what am I _ever_ going to do with you!"…..she exclaimed lightly while slowly shaking her head… "will you _ever_ stop taking everything so _seriously_?…know when I'm just _kidding_, with you?"…

….. "If _that _was playing around, I hope I _never_ see you get serious"…he muttered while occasionally rubbing his head…. "I can see that Allison has been training you well"…he added with a hint of pride…

… "Just one session so far"….Freyja commented…. "But no Jim, I've always been like this…a bit physical at times…..playful….with someone I feel real comfortable with that is"…and added with a slight chuckle and far off look in her eyes…..

….. " Fjandinn!…you should have _seen_ some of the light hearted little tussles me and Ásbjörn would get into"…..

….. "_Well I see she still thinks about Mr. super stud…but maybe that's for the best"…_ he thought to himself morosely…

She noticed a slight "look" come over him, at the mention of Ásbjörn and quickly piped up with….

….. "Hey I'm sorry Jim…I shouldn't have done that"…

….. "Aw…that's ok Freyja, I'll live I guess"…. he stated if a forgiving tone, while reaching up to feel the knot on his head…

…. "Nei, I didn't mean _that _Jim"… she clarified in a slightly more serious tone… "Well já..that _too_"… she quickly corrected with a chuckle, before continuing with….

….. "but I meant …well you know…_him_…I shouldn't have brought him up, that was thoughtless of me. He's _gone_ now and I'm not with _him_, I'm with"… she quickly bit her lip when she realized what she was about to say. Quickly and a bit awkwardly, she changed the subject, as she started toward him by saying….

….. "Here, let me take a look at that"…. as she slid her ammo case tightly up against his with her foot, knelt down on it, leaned over him and began inspecting the knot on his head….

….. "_Well she may have mentioned his name, but do you realize that she was referring to him in the same setting as you….as if you were….were taking his place in her life?….Ya…there's absolutely no way you can deny it Jimmy ol buddy….she really, really likes you…_he thought to himself, both slightly relieved and concerned, as he was engulfed in her long thick, lightly scented locks with her breasts occasionally brushing against him.

As he again felt his biological urges surfacing, buy her almost intimate closeness, he felt himself tensing up. Still another thought came to mind, however…..

…. "_Ok, before you start thinking you're a dirty old man again, don't you think you should find out how old she really is?…that question never was actually answered….ya know?…it would save you a lot on mental anguish"….._

….. "Dauði og djöfull!"….Freyja exclaimed as she felt the knot on his head…. "I _did _give you quit a little bump, didn't I… I guess I _do_ need to be a little more careful …. Allison must have rubbed off on me more than I thought…God Jim, I _am _sorry I didn't mean to hit you _that_ hard"….She concluded in a concerned tone, as she settled back on her ankles with her arms crossed lightly over her thighs and facing him with a sympathetic look.

….. "Like I said, it's no big deal….I can hardly even feel it now anyway"…he assured her as he reached up to feel it one last time. The funny thing was that while at first he was just saying that, so as not to seem like some sort of wuss, he really _didn't_ feel it anymore and when he reach up, he also noticed that the swelling seemed to have almost completely subsided….just by her touch. He glanced over to her and she simply returned a pleasant, knowing little smile ….. she knew.

…_.. "Sweet Jesus, what is she!"…. _he exclaimed to himself with a baffled look on his face, while he gazed upon her and swore he could see an actual visible glow surrounding her again. This time it didn't seem to frighten him, as it did the last time. He felt totally relaxed. There was still a detail, however, that needed to be cleared up…whatever she was.

….. "How did you do that?" …. he first asked in amazement of her healing touch….

….. "It's just part of who I am Jim" … she replied nonchalantly, with coy little smile …

….. "Ok..I'll accept that _for now_, but you know Freyja, I may be risking another head bash or even a concussion this time, but you never did answer my original question"….he stated, a bit more confidently now.

She rolled her eyes slightly and came at him with…

…. "You _never _quit, do you"… but before he could respond, she reached over and gently laid one of her hands on top of his, locked eyes with him and said with a warm pleasant smile…

….. "And that's _another _thing I really like about you, you don't give up Jim, like when Allison was so sick."… and after a brief pause she added…. "You know now I was just being playful the last time you asked, but there's nothing I can think of that I'm not comfortable sharing with you…_nothing_"…. she stated emphatically while giving him a very serious look.

….. "So anyway, to answer your question" …. she started in with a slight sigh as she pulled her legs out from under her to straddle the crate she was sitting on.

….. "I was born on April 22, 1983 in Hvammstangi Iceland….that makes me thirty-nine as we speak…. I'll be forty in a little over a month from now….that answer your question?"… she asked with a warm smile, then added…

….. "and before you ask,… já, I know, I don't look even _close_ to my age…I'm not sure why and the doctors don't have a clue, but for some unknown reason I don't age but at half the normal rate, if even that. …. So anyway Jim, why did you want to know?"….she asked innocently…

….. "Oh!…well no particular reason…. just curious I guess, some things you told me before just didn't seem to add up..that's all"….. He replied somewhat nervously with a shrug of his shoulders…

….. "Ok,…. and I'll except that _too_…for now "…she replied with a sly and very knowing little grin ….. Then inquired somewhat excitedly…..

…. "Anything _else _you'd like to know?"…. as she pulled her legs up from the floor and crossed them in front of her Indian style.

He beheld her for a moment sitting upon the old ammo case, elbows resting on her knees, chin perched atop of her two clasped hands, attentively staring back at him through two sparkling blue eyes with that same glowing aura surrounding her. While he still felt a tad nervous by her close presence, that too seemed to be melting away, as her ethereal glow seemed to fill him with a soothing warmth. He reached over to a long strand of her silky hair that had fallen down in front of her and gently slipped it back over her shoulder…paused for a second…then responded….

… "Your name Freyja….your name … I've always wondered about it, it has such a"…he paused for second, swallowed then proceeded…. "such a pretty sound to it, does it actually _mean_ something?…you know, in your language?

A slight look of disappointment came over, her followed by a slightly puzzled stare, as she straightened up, letting her arms cross loosely in her lap and queried …..

…. "My name?….well Jim I _thought_ we'd been over this before, it just means I'm the daughter of"…..

….. "Oh! No, no, no…not Björnsdóttir" …. he exclaimed waving his hands out in front of him….

….. "I meant …_Freyja_…your name….it has such a pretty sound to it"…..he clarified..

….. "Oh Ok!"… she exclaimed, with the sparkle returning to her, punctuated with a bit of pride…..

….. "Well in old Norse it simply means 'the lady'… the German word 'Frau' is derived from it"… she explained….

….. "but in the old pagan beliefs of my ancestors, Freyja was a goddess and a rather important one at that"….

…_.. "Hmm…now why doesn't that surprise me"…. _he thought to himself, as he slightly nodded his head with faint little grin.

He knew nothing of Norse mythology, but he had seen a few movies, as a kid, about Vikings….he thought for a moment then interjected….

….. "You mean like the Vikings?….I thought their god was Odin?"….

….. "Já, that's right"…she assured him…. "but Óðinn was just one of them, they had many and Freyja was just as prominent as Óðinn himself, some believe perhaps even more so"….. she stated with mounting pride…..

….."Granted, Óðinn was the chief of the Æsir, but Freyja was right up there with him. It was said the she could travel to the depths of Niflheim, the Norse underworld and hold sway over Hel herself, to intercede on behalf of the dead where Óðinn could not"…..

….. "So then …. she was Odin's Queen? …. like maybe a Viking version of the Virgin Mary?" ….he inquired with growing interest….

….. "Not hardly"…..she remarked with a slight chuckle …. "Óðinn's wife, or queen, was Frigg and Freyja was _far_ from a Virgin Mary. She was the goddess of love, beauty,"… she paused, swallowed and continued in a more solemn tone…..

…. "fertility and childbirth"… pausing again before perking back up, she continued on coyly with…..

…. "not to mention sorcery, sex, lust, passion and desire. She was also a warrior and a goddess of battle, along with being the supreme commander of the Valkyrjur"….

….. "Valkyrjur?… like Valkyries or something"….

…. "Já,… Valkyrjur is just the plural for the Norse word Valkyrja ….. or Valkyrie"…Freyja explained…

Jim wasn't sure what Valkyries were, but he had remembered seeing a movie when he was younger about the Viet-Nam war. The 101st Air Cavalry was flying in to provide air support to the ground troops, with the soundtrack of "Flight of the Valkyries" playing in the background. So he asked her….

….. "So the Valkyries.. or rather Valkyrjur"…. he quickly corrected, as Freyja gave him a very admiring look…. "were like some sort of guardian angles?"…

She glanced upward for a second, as if in thought and said…. "Well já,… I suppose that's a fairly close analogy…but actually they were warrior like women, on flying horses, that would appear after a battle. They would escort the fallen heroes to Valhöll, to spend the afterlife with Óðinn, but they along with Freyja, as their commander, were also known to give them support and watch over them during a battle at times, so já…I guess you could say they were like guardian angles, in a way."…

….. "So actually it was Freyja that decided who was worthy enough to go to Valhalla …or rather Valhöll,…. the Viking Heaven?…to spend eternity with Odin? or I guess Óðinn I should say….and she was actually a Valkyrja?….

Freyja paused and gazed upon the Sergeant for a moment, with a very deep, contemplative and admiring look. A very warm smile came to her face as she purred…

…... "James, you're so bright….so intelligent…the way you can pick up on my language…the old Norse pronunciations… so quickly…I can tell."….before he could respond to her unexpected flattery, she continued….

…. "Don't _ever_ think you're dumb or simple minded _just _because you have the _misfortune_ to be uneducated. Don't ever _demean_ yourself, you don't know how much I _hate_ to see you do that….. allt í lagi?…._promise _me that ?"….. she concluded in an almost pleading manor…

James just returned her a smile and replied… "ÉG lofa"…..

Freyja returned his smile, collected herself and continued with her story…..

….. "Ok.. so where we?…oh já…Valhöll.. well actually Jim, it wasn't actually a Heaven as you would think of that term and nobody was going to spend an eternity there. Those who ended up there became known as the Einherjar….or "the lone warriors." They would train and prepare all day for the final apocalyptic battle of Vígríðr, during Ragnarök…the time of the end or…. "the destruction of the powers"… where it was prophesied that they would _all_, including Óðinn himself, die a second time….._permanently_…. At night they would drink mead and feast, with the Valkyrjur acting as serving wenches."…..

… "As far as Freyja deciding who went there, well I _suppose_ she did, in a round about way. You see, she had her own place in the afterlife. Her personal hall was Sessrúmnir, in the realm of Fólkvangr. She had an agreement with Óðinn, where she could choose half of the fallen in battle, to take back to Sessrúmnir to be with _her_ and she got first choice. So Óðinn got what was left over_,_ essentially…the ones _she_ didn't want. So I guess in _that _way, she did decide who went to Valhöll. Nothing was ever said as to the fate of the ones she had chosen, but also nothing had ever been mentioned, in any of the myths, of Freyja or any of her chosen participating in the events of Ragnarök. It is more or less assumed that they remained neutral and survived."…..

…. "And nei Jim…she was definitely _not_ a Valkyrja, even though she _was _their commander in chief. She was extremely free and independent and would never submit to being a mere serving wench, in his hall with the rest of them. As a matter of fact, I can't remember any story of her ever so much as setting foot in Valhöll. Also, a requirement to be a Valkyrja was that they had to be and _remain_ a virgin and Freyja was….well lets just say she was rather free with herself, in _that_ respect."…..

… "As far as her surviving Ragnarök, well that makes sense in a _figurative _way I suppose, because she was still worshiped in the Scandinavian countries, especially Iceland, long after the coming of Christianity, long after all the rest had fallen into obscurity. My own Father was a devout follower of hers and would make pilgrimages to shrines in the Icelandic back country, to pay homage to her and he….well he named your's truly in her honor"…..She concluded with a very proud look about her…

….. "Whew!…. Now that gal had quite a résumé"…. he commented with a loud sigh….

…. "Já, Jim, that she did… that she did"…. she affirmed in a quiet reflective voice, as if she were talking to herself

….. "Anyway Freyja, you say your Dad worshiped her?….. That he was…well a _pagan_? …..I thought he was some real high up there scientist, or something like that"…he inquired in a slightly confused manor….

….. "Oh he _was_!"….. Freyja stated emphatically…. "He was an astral physicist…_highly_ renowned and respected, a leader in his field. He came from a _very_ respected and _highly _educated family, that could trace their roots back to Leifur Eiriksson himself ….and while he was officially an astral physicist, he held none less than a masters degree in more fields than I can remember, from astrometry to archaeology and anthropology. The walls of his study were literally _wallpapered_, with various diplomas and certifications….and he wasn't your stereotype 'bookworm' either. He was rugged a outdoors man, _always_ off to some obscure corner of the globe, on some expedition for his research. I think though, that he just liked the adventure of it all….like an 'Indiana Jones' type. He was _vehemently_ anti-war, but he _always_ carried a pistol….just in case."…

….. "So he wasn't around a lot while you were growing up I take it"…. Mc Cook commented somewhat sympathetically…

…. "Nei, he was gone a _lot_"…she assured him, but quickly added…. "but I know what you're thinking Jim and _nei_, he was a _wonderful _Father, he _never _neglected me _or _my brother. When he _was_ around, he made it a point to spend as much time with us as he could. He was a good man. He would be gone for _months_ at a time, but when he _was_ back, he'd be _back_ for months at a time and would devote that time _totally_ to his family. The _only_ thing I can even begin to fault him on was that he really tended to shelter us from the outside world. Do you remember when I told you that I was like twenty-five years old, before I knew much of anything about the world outside of Iceland?…

James simply nodded his head slightly, as Freyja went on with her story.

…. "Well I was almost nineteen before I ventured more than about a fifty miles beyond the little hamlet of Hvammstangi,… when I started college in Reykjavik. … actually he wasn't_ really _all that comfortable with that even. He claimed he could probably do a better job of teaching me, than the stuffed shirt professors, as he would refer to them, at the university and I was much to valuable to be at risk, that I was the last of our line"…she paused for a moment as if in reflection, then continued….

….. "and ya know, I was never all that sure what he meant by that… I mean I _did_ have an uncle and cousins living in Norway, so I was _not_ the end of our blood line. As I explained to you before, there are no actual family names in Iceland, to carry on and me being a girl, I wouldn't have been able to do that anyway, even if there was…. but anyway, he said I would need to be officially recognized, for the work that was ahead of me and the only way to do that was for me to get my degrees from accredited institutions, so he enrolled me at the University of Reykjavik."…

….. "Sounds like he was awfully protective of you….like you meant a lot to him"….the Sergeant commented"…

….. "Protective isn't the _word _for it…more like being smothered"… she elaborated while rolling her eyes… "but já, I meant a lot to him, _especially_ after my brother died. He had big plans for me, although he was never real clear as to exactly _what_ those plans _were_. He said I had a very important life's work ahead and again, he never went into what that work _was_, he just said I would know when the time came and I needed to be prepared."…

….. "Maybe he didn't really know, _maybe_ he just wanted you to do well and to be prepared for whatever might come up"… he suggested…..

…. "Nei Jim, you didn't know my Dad"….. she stated emphatically…. "and I don't think anybody including us _totally _knew him, but he _always_ knew what he was doing….._always_ had a plan. He told me _exactly_ the courses I should take in college and even in high school, he was just very secretive on a lot of things…Nobody and I mean _nobody_ completely knew Björn Aðalmundsson."…..

…."There was this old pagan shrine he would go to, where he would pay homage to the old gods and goddesses, particularly Freyja and Njörðr. He would take me and my brother Eirikur along with him, to help prepare for the rituals, but there was this _one_ place where he would go occasionally, where he _never _took _anyone_. We would ask him about it and he would just say that we couldn't go there, _nobody_ could but him. I guess it was some place that he considered so sacred, that only he and _maybe_ a select few could go to. We didn't even know _exactly_ where it was, other than somewhere in the general vicinity of Mt. Snæfell"…

…. "Another thing" ….she continued on….. "My Mother, ….. me and my brother never knew her, or knew what happened to her"….

…. "What, she died right after you were born?"… James inquired sympathetically…

… "Nei, she just"… and after a brief pause she shrugged her shoulders with a mystified look and said…. "disappeared one day…..I guess,…. as my brother and I were still in the cradle when it happened."

….."As we got older, we asked him about her and he just said that she was fine but couldn't be with us now. We asked if she was coming back and Dad just said that he didn't think so. He never talked about her after that. He carried one picture of her with him at all times, but other than that, there was no evidence around the house that she had ever even been there"….

"My Dad disappeared at about the beginning of my sophomore year in college. He and four of his closest associates went missing, while on one of his expeditions to central Asia, the work of outlaws of some sort, or at least that was the official story, according to the Russian Gov."….. She explained in a doubtful tone…..

….. "After that, I decided to find out for myself, what exactly had happened to my parents. Being able to poke around asking questions in south central Siberia and northern Outer Mongolia didn't seem too likely, or the safest thing to do at the time. With Ásbjörn's help, I decided first to try to find out more about my Mother."…..

…. "and Jim… what I'm about to tell you I've never told anyone…not Derek, any of my pre J-Day friends or even Allison for that matter, so you have to promise me it will never go beyond us….Allt í lagi?"… she explained with a trace of fear in her voice, then continued on before he had a chance to respond…..

….. "One weekend we went back to visit our home town, Hvammstangi. We first went to visit his Mother. When he asked her about her, she looked at him as if he had gone insane. She claimed that my father had been a widower and had moved there when I was about three years old. Ásbjörn's mother was quite elderly, so we didn't think that much of it, as her memory had been getting bad for some time.

We spent the rest of the day talking to old friends of the family. People who previously had claimed they had remembered her as a quiet reserved woman who rarely, if ever ,spoke to anyone and use to work in her garden all summer. Also, before I moved to Reykjavik and when I was much younger, I also recalled that according to these _same_ people, at the time of my Mother's disappearance, there had been a brief police investigation. _Now_, however, they _all_ completely and without exception collaborated with Ásbjörn's Mother's story."…..

…. "My Father had, according to _them_, purchased and moved into a house, that I know for a _fact_ he had lived in since he was a kid, after my mother had died in a small plane crash, when I was about three years old."…

…"They all thought me and Ásbjörn were on drugs or something. We visited the local constable's office and there was no record of any investigation over the disappearance of one Ása Jónsdóttir, my Mother.…. and if you think _that's_ weird"… she went on with a slightly rising tone of voice…..

…"Eirikur,…. my twin brother…according to _them,_ had never existed!. I was an only child!….. No school records and no record of him _ever_ being a patient at the hospice where he had died. We went to the cemetery where we had buried him and where his grave _should _have been, along with several others, was an old tool shed!….. that looked as if it had been there for a hundred years!"…..

… "At first I thought that, although I couldn't figure for the life of me as to why, the whole town was involved in some sort of insane conspiracy against me, but when I saw that graveyard, the old sod covered shed and groves of trees, in place of the entire section where my brother's grave had been,…. well I thought I was the one who had gone stark raving mad and if it hadn't been for Ásbjörn, I probably would have."….

….. "We grew up together there and he assured me that my memories were correct and that there was something _very_ strange going on. He and my brother had been friends when he was younger. He _and_ his family had attended Eirikur's funeral. He had been with me, not more than a _week before _my Fathers disappearance, putting flowers on his grave."…

….."When we returned to Reykjavik we started an exhaustive search, internet, public records, you name it, in an attempt to get to the bottom of what was going on there, but the more we searched the deeper the mystery became."….

….."There was no public record of my brother _anywhere _to be found. It was as if he never had been. The _only_ records that could be found of my Mother was that she was listed on my birth certificate, _as_ my Mother and…..now get this…. We also found in the public library archives, an old newspaper article about a airplane accident back in 1986 … the pilot….. Ása Jónsdóttir….. She had taken off from Reykjavik headed for Vestmannæyjar in the Vestmanna islands, about twenty miles off the coast. According to the article, she had become disoriented in fog and was believed to have went down in the ocean. No wreckage or body was ever found, of course. Those two things were the_ only _mention that existed of her. _No_ birth record, _no_ school records or _any_ family history whatsoever."….

…"We checked historical records and that sod hut, back at the Hvammstangi cemetery, had been built in 1918. Now for the weirdest part, the part that if it had not been for Ásbjörn assuring me that I was not imagining things, I know I would have ended up in a rubber room."…..

….."I checked my _own _public birth records and by this time, of course, it came as no surprise that I was listed as being born in Reykjavik instead of Hvammstangi, but when I checked my _own copy _of my birth certificate, that I had locked away in my safe, it also _now_ showed my place of birth as Reykjavik. I called my cousins in Norway and they _too_ thought I was either playing some sort of joke, or had been smoking some real good dope. They had never _heard_ of Eirikur Björnsson. I was the _only_ cousin that they ever had. I was an only child, _never_ had a twin brother, was in fact born in Reykjavik and had moved to Hvammstangi with my Father, after their Aunt Ása's death in 1986."…

…"Ásbjörn and I both came to the conclusion that we had both _totally _lost our marbles and were sharing the exact same delusion, or had discovered a _massive_ conspiracy and cover up. When I had told him about my birth certificate, he insisted that I move in with him, in neighboring Garðabær, as it appeared as if someone had broken into my home to replace my birth certificate with a forgery."…

….. "My Father had been a _brilliant_, if not somewhat controversial, research scientist. He had been working on a theory he had had for decades, at the time of his disappearance. He had claimed in his words, ….'it will set the world scientific community on it's ear."

…"As all these alterations of records coincided with Dad's disappearance, we both assumed that his end was not simply the result of a run in with smugglers or gun runners, as spokesmen for both the Russian Federation and Peoples Republic of Mongolia suggested, but something _much _bigger. Also, whoever or whatever was behind it all had to an _immensely_ powerful and influential person or organization, to be able to orchestrate a cover up of such magnitude, that there was probably very little we could do and it might prove to be quite _dangerous _to continue asking questions. I moved in with him and he suggested that we just get on with our lives, finish our education and pursue our careers, at least for the time being. He promised me, however, that some day we would get to the bottom of it all, when we were in a better position to do so."…

….. "We never figured on the end of the world as we knew it….J-Day… occurring before that"….she went on to say while gazing down to the floor…. "I suppose I never_ will_ know the truth now"…she concluded with an air of resignation…..

Sergeant Mc Cook stared down at her with a look of disbelief on his face, before saying…..

….. "So you think that someone changed _all_ public records, bribed or threatened _hundreds_ of people, including members of your own family to lie to you?…and for what reason?…no mater what the circumstances were concerning your Dad, why would it matter if you had had a brother or not?….what difference would it make where you were born?"…..

… "You don't believe me…do you?"…..She stated weakly, as she glanced back up at him…

James looked down on a somewhat dejected looking Freyja Björnsdóttir. The one person he felt that was truly a friend. The woman he had become totally captivated by and who had given him and Allison moral support, more times than he could count. The person that without whose help, his precious daughter, Allison, would now be just a heart wrenching memory.

What she had been talking about sounded like the ravings of a wild paranoid schizophrenic, the delusional rambling of a mentally deficient, but Freyja was _none _of those things. _That_ he was certain of and she most certainly was _not_ a liar. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that _she_ believed her story and she was _not _crazy, but she _had_ been through hell. She may have seemed almost goddess like at times, but she was _still _human and _nobody _was perfect. _Everybody _had a breaking point. Half the people he knew, that had lived through J-Day, had experienced _some_ degree of PTSD. Why should she be any different?…. especially after twice literally returning from death's door.

He didn't know exactly what to say. He was not about to lie in an attempt to humor her. She was too smart and would see right through it anyway, but he also didn't want her to think that he thought she was "off her rocker."…..

….. "Well Freyja, I'm _not _saying I don't believe you. I _know_ that _you _believe it and you're _not_ crazy or stupid, but it _does_ sound just a little far fetched. You've been through hell in the last eleven years and I also know that that can …well….affect people…not saying it has."….he quickly clarified and went on to say….

…. "I'm not going to lie to you Freyja. I find your story hard to believe."….. and as she started to speak he raised his hands up in front of him and cut her of by saying….

….. "but let me finish… if someone told me twelve, thirteen years ago that computers would conspire to annihilate the human race… well I would have found that a little hard to believe _too_, …. so I guess _anything's_ possible."… he concluded with a shrug of his shoulders…..

….. "Well Jim, I _know _I had a twin brother and his name was Eirikur and I _know_ where I was born, you don't forget things like that"….. Freyja stated evenly and with the warmth returning to her smile went on to say…..

… "but I can't expect you to believe what I told you just now, if someone was telling me the same thing, I would have a hard time believing it _myself_"….. and as she reached over and briefly caressed his cheek with her warm glowing smile fully restored said…..

….. "and _I really _appreciate your straight forwardness Jim. I wouldn't expect any less from you….it's part of what makes you the man you are"….

They just stared into each others eyes for a minuet or two in silence, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder. He reached over and very slightly ran his fingers through her hair a few times and was about to speak, but just couldn't find the words. Freyja sensed his hesitation and remembered Allison's words… "He's afraid of girls"… and thought to herself…..

…. _"Be patient girl, don't rush him…we've made a lot of progress tonight and he actually touched you!…three times tonight…. and not as a good friend, Mother or daughter….. but as a woman!…. Give him his space for a bit and just leave him with his thoughts…thoughts about you Freyja….._

….. "Oh, I see you're dry, here let me fix that for you"…as she smoothly arose and headed back to the pot for refills.

James watched as she made her way back to the opposite side of the room, taking in everything about her, her proud robust form, her long graceful legs, the long flowing straw colored hair that half hid her perfectly formed little rear, but this time without even a hint of guilt.

… "_Well …..she's legal age wise, very, very good looking, single and thinks the world of you. She's probably the best friend you ever had, after or before J-Day and shared secrets about her past with you, that she'd never reviled to anyone before tonight. Her conspiracy theory may be a little far fetched, but she believes it and seems to still fear reprisal of some sort for talking about it. She's trusting you with her safety…. maybe even her life from her point of view. She could have any good looking valiant young soldier on this base she might want, but…._

And as he recalled back to something she had said…. "there's nothing I can think of that I'm not comfortable sharing with you…_nothing_"…. and the way she had said it, the look she gave him….

….. _" she chose you! … of all people… a lonely old drill Sergeant, she's willing to give herself to you…totally and completely"_….. he thought to himself as he watched her lithely moving about preparing some more coffee…..

…_. "Allison may be in the next room and there's not enough privacy for anything to really happen. Freyja would never approve of it under those circumstances anyway, even if you wanted to, but she will be getting up and going off to work in a few more hours. Freyja doesn't seem to be wanting to go anywhere, plus, you were going to have her sleep in anyway. So why not Jim?…. Just relax.. Next to Allison she's the best thing that's ever happened to you….don't pass up a good thing"…._

…_.. "Who!…time out!….time out!"…_

…_.. "What!….now what's the problem!…..you heard her, she's forty years old for Christ sakes…nothing wrong with that."…._

…_.. "Jimbo, I think there's something else here you should consider"…_

…_.. "Ya.. like what?…..She's within my age group.. she's single and I think even you will admit now that she's crazy about me and appears to be quite 'consenting'. We enjoy each others company and she's a damn fine lady…..what else is there to consider?"…._

…_. " Oh just one little thing…..check out that body of her's… the energy she has.. the way she moves"….._

…_.. "What?.. you don't think I haven't?….ya she's built like a brick shit house and full of life…so what?...so much the better"….._

…_.. "Ok pal I'll spell it out for you. ….. Ya she's forty, but physically she's like twenty-five. You've always liked to brag to hell and back about your sexual conquests, around the boys, but we both know, that if the truth be known, you've never really excelled in that department, even when you were twenty-five. Weren't there a few 'issues' with your ex. in that area, contributing to her running off?….. Think you could keep up with her?… at your age?…. or even if you were twenty-five again?….you seriously think you could satisfy her?…..Hell Jimbo, if you could last even sixty seconds in the sack with her I'd be shocked. What do you think her opinion would be of you then…hmmm?… _

_You have a good friend, you enjoy her company and she's good for Allison. Take my advice pal…. don't screw it up..OK?"…_

A slightly glum look came over him, as he reflected upon his "better judgment"…

….. "_Well I suppose you're right…no reason to give her a big disappointment and spoil everything"…. _He thought to himself grimly…..

….. "Here ya go… another dose of Freyja's famous 'black magic'"….. She chirped cheerfully, while setting the steaming cup on the table and sliding back in beside him….

At the sight of her pleasant smile, he wanted to touch her in the worst way… to just run his fingers through her hair….. to feel the smoothness of her glowing face and enjoy the contented reaction she seemed to have, when he did so, but he restrained himself. He remembered something she had asked of him, so instead he quietly said, in a very sincere tone….

….. "ÉG lofa, Freyja….ÉG lofa"…..

Freyja cocked her head a few times and looked back a him curiously. With a slight chuckle she inquired….

….. "Well Jim…about what?….. You promise what?"…..

…. " The things you told me Freyja….. your secrets…. there're safe with me"…. he replied sincerely….

She looked back at him, with her warm smile increasing and replied softly…

…. "I know Jim… you don't even need to say it…. I _know_ you'll never tell"…..

And as she leaned into him and gave a gentle kiss on the cheek …added..

….. "You're a good man and I trust you….. _totally_"…..

This night was not the first times he had ever been kissed by her. It had been her custom to give him a quick friendly "peck on the cheek", upon saying good by for the day or upon her arrival at times. The ones he had received tonight, however, were of an entirely different caliber, especially that last one. It had been considerably slower and longer lasting than it's predecessors, with a slight, but very definite, sensual quality about it. It sent a warm tingly sensation to his very core.

As she broke off, with her finger tips traveling down the other side of his face, lightly grazing his neck, he thought of her name and her namesake…. Freyja of the Æsir…. The Norse goddess of lust, passion and desire…

…_. "Ol Björn sure knew what he was doing when he named his daughter…that´s for sure!"…. _he thought to himself, while summoning every last ounce of will power, to refrain from pulling her back.

While he was no longer afraid or disgusted by his feelings and desires toward Freyja and was finding that he actually enjoyed her apparent infatuation for him, he realized, if for no other reason than his track record, concerning other members of the female persuasion, that any relationship with her beyond just a best friend and business partner was probably not meant to be.

She was indeed his best friend, Allison's "Aunt Freyja" and a full partner in his little black market operation…she wasn't going anywhere and he'd be seeing her on a regular basis, regardless of what their _personal_ relationship might be. With that in mind and the present situation starting to get a little "steamy" he decided, with a bit of regret, that things should be brought to an end, for the present time anyway,…he'd be seeing her again sooner or latter and probably sooner than later. .. He hoped…..

James had drunk enough of Freyja's special brew that he figured it would be at least mid day before he could manage to get to sleep, none the less he stretched his arms while letting out a feigned yawn,.. saying…..

… "Well Freyja, it's been a great evening here with you, but it is getting late and I could use the rest."….and as he quickly looked around the room at her handiwork added….

… "and I think _you _could use some too..…you've been a busy bee today"…

He perceived a hint of disappointment in her eyes and continued on with…..

….. "but don't get me wrong…. like I just said, it was a great evening and I enjoyed every moment of it. This is probably"… .. He paused for a moment and corrected…

….. "no, it _is…_the best night I've had in years"… Leaning in slightly closer, he placed one of his hands over hers and in a softer and very sincere tone said….

….. "I _mean_ that Freyja….ÉG er hrifinn af þér (see A/N 1)…. I really do"….

Freyja locked her misty blue, slightly watery eyes with his, while placing her other hand on his, squeezed it tight and choked out just above a whisper….

…. "Me too Jim…. me too… Mannsnafn"…

She marveled to herself, as she gave him another very admiring look, at how well he was picking up on her native language. She wondered where he had learned the phrase he had just uttered, as she didn't think she had ever said it to him. She knew, that he knew, she was more comfortable speaking Icelandic, so she figured he had been doing some supplemental studying on his own…..

….. _"Bless his heart"…_ she though to herself warmly…

A slight feeling of self consciousness came over her, as she wondered how many of her words he really understood now, but as quickly as the feeling came it vanished. Tremendous progress had been made this night, at tearing down that invisible wall that separated them, as evidenced by his last words to her. He may have started pushing her away again, but she knew now it was just a matter of time and probably not much time at that. She knew that the evening was about over and would have to be leaving soon, but knew she would be seeing him again….very soon.

Still, even though she didn't know if he would understand, she had to say it, get it off her chest before the night was over. Glancing down at the table for a moment she swallowed, looked back up to him and with very watery eyes said it, like a quiet wisp of a summer breeze…..

… "ÉG elska þig"….

She didn't know if he actually understood the words, but buy the look in his eye she could tell….. Somehow….he knew…

Her warm smile increased slightly, while she squeezed his hand, as they just stared into each others eyes. She felt a little droplet starting to form in the corner of an eye and quickly brushed it away, stood up smartly, gathered her wits and cheerfully said….

….. "Já, you're right Jim..it _is _getting quite late"…. she gathered up her knapsack, flung it over her shoulder and affirmed….

…. "And you're right, we could _both_ use some rest…especially you"…..she stated light heartedly as she very playfully bonked him on the head, only much easier this time, then went on to say with her admiring look…

….. "You've been putting in some long hard hours and deserve your rest, so I suppose I should be running along now…. I really shouldn't be keeping you up _all_ night."….. she added with a slight chuckle. ….

The Sergeant's eyes followed her every move, as she strode toward the door. She opened it and was about to step out into the tunnel, when she turned to face him. With a serious yet very contented look about her, she said…..

….. "Jim, ya know when you said how this had been such a wonderful night for you?"…

Captivated by her proud glowing form standing in the doorway, staring back at him through sparkling blue eyes, he just nodded slightly in acknowledgment, before she continued….

… "Well I don't know if I was all that clear as to _my_ feelings on the subject and before I leave, I'd just like you to know"….. she stated while crossing her arms loosely and resting her head against the door jam, giving him a very relaxed peaceful stare….

….. "For me Jim, this has been the most enjoyable and _fulfilling_ time I've had…_ever_ Jim…ever"…. she paused for a second then added in a softer voice, while giving him an intense look…..

….. "_Ever_…..with anyone Jim"….

…. "Ya I guess neither one of us has had much of a social life since J-Day"…..he replied with a slight chuckle…

….. "Nei Jim, that's _not _what I meant and I _don't _think you understand what I'm trying to tell you…_not_ since J-Day"….and with emphasis she repeated…. "with _anyone_…_ever_"….

Jim wasn't sure what to think. She had previously told him of how she had "burned a candle" for her former lover for over a decade, the depth and intensity of their relationship and how nobody could ever replace him in her life. With a slightly confused look about him he was about to speak.

Freyja could see the "gears turning" in his head and before he could speak, she affirmed…as if she could read his very thoughts..

….. "Já …..with a_nyone_…._ever_…even him"…..

They just stared at each other in silence, her relaxed, leaning against the door jamb, with eyes sparkling like stars on a cold clear arctic night, him sitting at the table at a loss for words, yet with a hint of pride showing through his bewildered facial expression. He simply didn't know what to say in light of what she had just implied, but knew he had to say something. He stood up, scratched his head said…

…. "Freyja look… you have at least one more day off before you need to return to active duty and I have the next week. We both know that Allison, other than as a friend, doesn't really require your services anymore and it looks like"…and as he made a sweeping gesture with an arm, toward his now neatly arranged stock of trade goods, he continued with a chuckle…..

… "well you've pretty much worked your self out of a job _here_…. for awhile anyway…. as your services won't really be required here for the time being"…..

Her heart sank and the sparkle dimmed in her eyes, as she heard his words,…. but returned quickly to her former luster, as he posed a question to her…with a concerned look about him…

….. " So will I be seeing you anytime _soon_?…like _tomorrow_ maybe?"….

Without changing her relaxed posture, she slightly shook her head and with a pleasant smile said….

….. "Jim, just get some rest and I'll be the first person you'll see when you wake up" …. and in a softer voice added… "ÉG lofa"….

With that she slowly backed out into the tunnel, closing the door behind her. She whispered….. Ég sé þig fljótlega (I'll see ya soon), as her face disappeared behind the gently closing door.

He stared at the closed door for a moment and suddenly realized that he had technically just made a date with her and she'd accepted. He knew that they must remain just as close friends, but still, he found himself eagerly looking forward to it. Suddenly a thought flashed in his mind…

….. _"Holy shit Jim!..you can't let her go out there alone at this hour…..you were going to have her sleep in with Allison, right?… get your shit together!… get off your ass!.. go bring her back _…_right now!"….._

He sprang to his feet and bolted for the door, flung it open and dashed out into tunnel, crying out…..

…. "Freyja!….wait!.. hang on a minuet!"…..

She spun back around with an excited look on her face, as he continued….

…. "Look… I don't think you should be wandering around these tunnels alone at his hour, _especially_ way back here….. It's just not safe for a lady…. So I was thinking it might be better if….well…maybe"….

A slight feeling of uneasiness came upon him as he dithered momentarily. He was about to ask her if she'd like to spend the night and he didn't want her to get the wrong idea. Before he could continue, however, she piped up with…..

….. "Jim, are you offering to escort me _home_?"….. she let her arms hang down loosely in front of her clasping her hands together and added, with a warm inviting smile….

….. "That's so sweet of you,.. I'd be honored"….

….. "_Take her back to her place!"… _he thought to himself with a sudden pit forming in his gut…. _"Without Allison as a chaperone?….. No that's not what I had in mind at all!…. _His composure returned as quickly as it had left, when he though about where her place was…. "_OK…relax Jim… the enlisted personnel's bunk area… what can happen there?"….._

….. "Of course Freyja"…. He affirmed, with renewed confidence, as he walked toward her….. "I'm sorry, but I simply can't _allow you _to be out here by you're self, this late at night"… He stated emphatically.

….. "Ok then"….. she responded in a cheerful voice as he came up beside her….

….. "So shall we?"… she inquired, as she extended an arm slightly in the direction of their proposed travel.

They strolled leisurely down the dimly lit lonely corridors, of the mid levels of New Los Angles, in the dismal year of 2022 at 0345 in the morning. The smell of mold, mildew and over abundant humanity was overpowering, as it was particularly humid that night. Little halos surrounded the few burning lights. It may have been a hell hole, but to Freyja it was as if a foggy night on the coast, back in Reykjavik, Hvammstangi or Garðabær. It was the most romantic setting she could imagine.

By and by they came to the enlisted personnel's sleeping quarters. As they groped through the snoring masses, in near darkness, Freyja whispered…

… "Shh!… let's try not to disturb anyone, Allt í lagi?"….

They had had a very relaxed casual conversation along the way, about nothing in particular and he had thoroughly enjoyed the walk with her. He knew they would soon reach her bunk and would have to say their good by's for the night. He found himself wishing it wasn't so.

As they gingerly worked their way around cots with their snoozing occupants, stepping over those not fortunate enough to even have one, he noticed she was leading him toward a very dark side tunnel. When it was apparent that they were leaving the slumbering masses behind, he asked somewhat curiously….

… "Where are we going exactly?…. The bunk room is back that way"…..

… " Well I thought you were seeing me home"….. she replied casually…

….. . "Hang on a minuet"…. she calmly requested, as she rummaged through her knapsack to produce a small flashlight…..

… "The city fathers decided that this section no longer requires power I guess"…..she stated with a roll of her eyes…. "I don't think this will disturb anyone now though"…. she said, while flicking it on to illuminate the way ahead…

….. "But Freyja, I thought you stayed back there with the rest"….. he queried, while raising his fist with his thumb pointing back over his shoulder…..

….. "Oh nei.. nei, Jim, I have my _own_ little place….I thought you _knew_ that"….. she responded with a shrug of her shoulders…..

Before he could respond, she went on to say with a slight chuckle…

…. "I guess we _are_ learning more about each other tonight…_aren't we_?"…..

A moment latter they arrived at a padlocked plywood door. She fiddled with the lock while he held the light. The lock clicked open and she slid the bolt with a slight grinding sound. Before opening it she turned around to face him, while leaning back against the door, relaxing with her hands clasped behind her.

… "Well this is it, home sweet home"….she remarked with a slight chuckle while rolling her eyes….

… "Ya… but I'm surprised you have one, only being a Corporal and all"…..He commented…..

….. "Well I wouldn't have if it wasn't for Derek…. He noticed years ago how much I _hated _communal living. He got a group of volunteers together to dig it out for me."… she paused then continued… "Já, he's a real prince in my book..a good man at heart…. ….I don't know _what _I would have done without him at times"…. she paused again for a moment, then quickly added … "He's been like a _big brother _to me, every since J-Day"….

….. "Anyway"…she continued on…. "It's not much, nothing like _your_ place Jim, just a place for some privacy…. when it's needed…. Allison has been helping me with it as well lately, so it's not so bad now."…..

She had switched her little light off by now and they stood staring at each other in the darkness. Dark as it was, he swore he could still see a slight glow emanating from her. In his minds eye, he could plainly distinguish her slightest features, as if she were in the noon day sun. It seemed to be just a bit eerie, perhaps even supernatural, but at the same time he had never felt more relaxed and comfortable with her, than he did at that moment.

… "So, are we going to stand out here in the dark _all night_, or would you like to come on in for awhile?… she asked while opening the door with a creak…..

With a bit of awkwardness returning he replied…..

….. "Oh I don't know Freyja, Allison's all alone and I _think _I should be getting back to her"…

….. "Jim… I've _watched_ you and Allison spar"….Freyja commented with a chuckle….. "and I somehow think that she _knows _how to defend herself ...and she's _not _alone…. Let me ask you something"… She inquired in an amused tone….. "If any one _was_ foolish enough to intrude on her, _seriously_ now, who do you think we should be more concerned about….. _her_ or the intruder? …_especially_ with Fenrir and Igrayne at her side?….hmm?"…..

….. "Well I suppose you're right"…he admitted with a hint of pride…. "but"…

….. "No buts Jim"…. she cut him off pertly ….. "You're _out _of excuses"…. she merrily stated, while playfully poking him in the gut…

…. "Come on Jim…._at least _take a look at the place and tell me what ya think….Allt í lagi?"….she chirped, as she took his hand and led him in, shutting the door behind them.

As the door shut, the last vestiges of ambient light vanished and they were thrown into total absolute darkness.

…."No lights?"…. Jim queried …

…. "Remember what I said earlier?… they don't seem to think I'm _important _enough to warrant electrical power way back here, so já..no electric lights anymore….. Just hold on though… I'll take care of it in a second."… she assured him casually….

There was a slight hiss, followed buy a little "pop" as an old butane torch sprang to life. She pranced sprightly around the room, lighting several candles, set in various little cavities cut into the dirt walls of her tiny apartment. As the candles flickered to life, Freyja's little grotto was slowly illuminated by a soft orange, lazily dancing glow.

It was small to say the least, not more than fifteen by ten, but it definitely had "character". Ninety percent of the dirt floor space was covered by a huge polar bear skin rug, complete with a snarling growling head, frozen in time, baring it's fangs, with several deer pelts and a few deer skin pillows scattered over it. Into the walls had been carved numerous apertures, nooks and crannies that held, not only the hypnotic flickering candles, but various books and makeshift nick knack's, the most numerous of which were carvings of cats, of all shapes and sizes.

In one corner stood an old rusty, rather out of place looking, filing cabinet that was obviously used as a makeshift dresser. On top of the cabinet however, in an attempt to bring it into harmony with the rest of the decor, was draped what looked like rabbit and rat pelts sewn together, hanging down the sides. On top of that, lay what appeared to be a shiny gold necklace, adorned the various gems and precious stones. At the head of the room was an old somewhat rusty, but very distinguishable, long sword jammed into the ground, with a medieval looking battle axe crossed over it and a horned helmet perched upon the hilt. Behind the little display of primitive arms, a large chunk of wood stood propped against the wall, with some strange unknown symbols and lettering burned into it.

… "So what do ya think?"… Freyja chimed, as she swept her arms around toward various areas of the room…

He stared in awe around her tiny abode, before he asked in a somewhat shocked tone….

….. "Where in the name of God did you _get_ all this stuff!"…

….. "Helvíti James!… you know people in _our _profession don't reveal their sources!"…. she retorted, while giving him a quick sly grin and playful jab with her elbow….

She laid down on the bear skin, stretched out her legs, crossing them at the ankles while relaxing back on her elbows. Looking back up to the Sergeant, who was still standing by the door. Freyja continued on in a calmer voice….

…. "But seriously Jim… I can tell you this much. Allison was a big help. With the exception of 'ol' Hvítabjörn here"….as she ruffled the polar bear's fur, she was laying on..."She got all the furs and skins for me, while on her dog hunting trips. The meat, they were afraid, could still be too contaminated for human consumption, but the skins are ok to use as blankets and such. She skinned and tanned them, but I did all the rest, including making these pillows, cushions or whatever you want to call them"….. She explained, as she tossed one to him….

….. "everything else …. .. well lets just say I acquired it by _fair trade_"…she concluded with a shrug of her shoulders….

….. "well aren't _you _the little hustler now"…. James commented with a grin….

….. "That's because I had a very good mentor"….. She explained while giving him an admiring stare….

He felt himself filling with pride at her comment, as he responded bashfully with….

….. "Ya….I guess you did,….but _you_ did all the work"…..

….. "Ok.. I'll take that as a complement I guess"….. She responded with a slight chuckle as she got up, fished around in one of the little cut outs in the wall, producing a can of oily liquid, a rag and candle.

Hanging from the overhead shoring, in the center of the room, was a little glass container, in which she stuffed the rag then filled it with the oily substance. She lit it, placed the candle back in the hole in the wall and settled back down onto the furry white, silent behemoth.

James watched as little wisps of smoke lazily curled out from the suspended glass, forming little cirrus like clouds, slowly spreading across the room. An intoxicating yet very pleasant and stimulating scent, of which he couldn't describe, assailed his olfactory senses.

He gazed down at Freyja, serenely laying atop of the white pelt, on her side, bathed in the soft tranquil slowly flickering light, with her head propped up by an arm, pensively staring back at him, while absentmindedly playing with a strand of her long silken hair. The blue sparkle, from her shimmering azure eyes, had an almost enchanting quality, as that same glowing aura began to emanate from her.

His "better judgment" told him _again,_ that she must remain just as a good friend, but that voice now seemed as a distant whisper fading away as he felt drawn to her, as if by sorcery.

While that faint voice was fast receding, it had left a cold chain upon his heart. He knew what would probably happen if he got into a situation with her, like the one that now appeared to be rapidly developing. For weeks now, he had admitted to himself that he was attracted to her, that he longed for her company while she was gone, but _now_ ….he realized...he loved her.

A putrid sickly feeling settled in his guts, as he realized it was a love that could never be, that was doomed before it ever happened. In an instant it felt as if he had became lost in some far off cold, misty netherworld. He never felt more alone in his life. He shut his eyes for he couldn't bear to look at her. He just wanted to leave, to run….. but it was as if he was frozen in place.

He heard a subtle compassionate voice, …..soothing, soft and gentle …..

…. "I know Jim….I know"….

He slowly opened his eyes and looked down at Freyja, relaxing amid the snowy white fur, gazing up at him with her fiery blue eyes, as if she could see clear through to his soul. The aura around her was now as if bright golden flames, melting the icy chain on his heart, as her soft soothing words continued on, reassuringly...

… "Fear _not_, ….elskhugi minn… for I _know_"…...

He gazed into deep, mystic, sapphire like eyes and bathed in her reviving, ethereal glow.

While his understanding of most of her words was unclear, they flowed through his very essence, reviving his tormented spirit, as they faintly and melodically issued forth, from scant moving lips,….. like a quiet wispy trace, of a light evening breeze... and spoke to his soul.

.

… "Vertu Djarfur, Vera Hjartaljón, Verið Hugrakkir" ...(Be Bold, Be Valiant, Be Brave)...

.

…."Skráðu þig með mér"...(Join with me)...

….."Komdu taka í hendina á mér"...(Come take my hand)...

…."og koma ekki ótta þinn" ...(and bring not your fears)...

.

….."Vertu Djarfur, Vera Hjartaljón, Verið Hugrakkir"...

.

…. "Skráðu þig með mér, Mannsnafn" ...(Join with me, James)...

…. "Reynsla mín faðma"...(Feel my embrace)...

…. "og vita elskandi snerta minn"...(and know my loving touch)...

.

…. "Vertu Djarfur, Vera Hjartaljón, Verið Hugrakkir"...

.

…. "Skráðu þig með mér"... (Join with me)...

... "Smakkið ævintýri!"...(Taste the adventure!)...

… ."Smakkið unaður!"...(Taste the thrill!)...

.

…. "Vertu Djarfur, Vera Hjartaljón, Verið Hugrakkir"...

.

…. "Skráðu þig með mér, elskhugi minn" ...(Join with me, my love)...

…. "Við munum keppa á Seiðr!"...(We'll dance the Seiðr!)...

…. "og upplifum mátt"...(and feel the power)...

…. "kærleika, af ástríðu, af löngun"...(of love, of passion, of desire)...

.

…. "Vertu Djarfur, Vera Hjartaljón, Verið Hugrakkir"...

.

…. "Skráðu þig með mér"...(Join with me)...

... "Ríða vagninn minn!" ... ...(Ride my chariot!)...

..."Sessrumnir símtöl!" ... ...(Sessrumnir calls!)

... "það fljótt við skal!"...(There soon we shall be!)

… "Taktu þér bara í hendina á mér" ...(Just take my hand)…

.

She raised up slightly and extended to him her hand, as the dimly lit room began fading away, diminished by her shimmering, ethereal glow. The dark blue sweat shirt, she had been wearing, morphed into a glistening gold breast plate, covering_ only _her breasts. Her maroon colored jeans became a long deep purple cloth, extending down from her hips, revealing her long silky smooth legs. From her neck now hung that gold bejeweled necklace, he had noticed atop the old cabinet, its many gems blazing like brilliant little stars, on a dark moonless night. Her long straw colored hair, with the few streaks of gray, was now as spun gold, the color of sunshine it's self, the gray totally gone.

He wondered if he was dreaming, as he beheld the sight before him. Perhaps the whole night had been a dream and he was asleep on his cot, with her still sprawled out over his desk. If this was in fact a dream, he only wished it would never end and if it was not, he knew he should be doubting his own sanity, but somehow he did not.

He slowly, yet confidently now, knelt down beside her and reached for her hand. As their finger tips touched, her brilliant halo like glow spread up his arm, as a new strength and vitality flooded through his veins. Her wild passionate, yet gentle soul settled in, to be one with his own, as the bright flaming aura enveloped them both.

Many times, especially this night, he had started to wonder about this captivating somewhat mysterious lady, that he had become so enraptured by. Who and what exactly was she?... but now he knew...

As their hands slowly closed together and she gently pulled him toward her embrace, one thing, at least, became clear...she was Freyja... she was his...and always was.


	9. Ch8 Paradise Lost

_**A/N.**_

_**1.**__ Sorry it took a little longer than expected, but here it is. This chapter contains my first attempt at any real action scenes (in the last section) and took a little longer than expected. In this chapter, Allison Receives a promotion and new assignment, searches for her missing foster Dad (Year 2022) and has a life changing encounter in Death Valley (Year 2026). The origin of a mysterious character, from the first season of TSCC gets its start (see if you can catch it). Also some strong language can be expected._

_**2. **__As explained previously, the entire story is to be laid out in three perhaps four consecutive stories. This was intended to be and will be, eventually, a John/Cameron story, but not like most that are under that title. It will be an in depth slowly developing story starting with Allison Young. The John/Cameron stuff wont really come into play till the next (sequel) story and toward the very end of this one. Fore this reason I have decided to change the description as it is currently very misleading, seen as how this particular story (Book one I guess you could call it) will for the most part center around Allison and her early experiences._

_**3. **__The next chapter will start to go into Allison's experiences, during her younger years in Death Valley and how she ended up there in the first place. Also it will start to shed some light on why she hates John Connor as she does. _

_**4. Glossary of terms etc. for this chapter**_

_**(1)…Légion étrangère **__….. French Foreign Legion_

_**(2)…Vektor CR-21 assault rifle**__…. A South African made assault rifle. While not quite the cyclic rate of fire as the American M16A4, is considerably lighter and more compact_

_**(3)…Milkor MRGL (Multi Range Grenade Launcher) **__… A 40 mm six shot revolver style grenade launcher of South African manufacture, but also produced in the US under license from Milkor Ltd. of South Africa. It is chambered to accept three types of ammunition of most types of 40 mm Grenades. It has an effective range of 375, 600 and 800 meters depending on the ammunition used and can fire up to six 40 mm grenades within three seconds._

_**(4)…HEAT**__… High Explosive Anti Tank_

_**(5)…Bifröst**__….. According to Norse Mythology, a rainbow bridge extending from Miðgarðr the realm of man, to Ásgarðr the realm of the Gods. According to one legend, on a souls journey to the next life across this bridge, one of the first things that would come into view, if he or she had been a good master, would be their departed pets, that would be waiting for them on the other side._

_**(6)…..Timbisha Shoshone**__….A Native American tribe, originally indigenous to Death Valley_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to TSCC or are they my creation. This work is strictly amateur (obviously) and I receive no compensation of any kind. The character of "Freyja Björnsdóttir", however is of my creation totally.**_

* * *

.

.

_**The Story of a Life**_

_**Chapter 8**_

_**Paradise Lost**_

.

.

_**March 17, 2022**_

_**New Los Angeles, CA.**_

_**Sergeant Mc Cook and Allison Young's Quarters**_

_**0445 Hrs.**_

**_._**

Allison lay in her bed relaxed, when she heard a very quiet, soft little ..."Woof"... While she new better, she ignored it, hoping it would go away. "Woof"...again she heard it, followed by silence. Then after another long pause... "Woof"... After several attempts to be gentle, met with a non responsive Allison, Fenrir bounded up onto the bed. She felt his snout ram into her back, followed by his paw coming deftly down on the side of her head.

"Ow!..damn it Fenni... that hurt!"... she whined, while covering her head in an attempt to ward off the assault. Finally after she realized that he was not going to take "no" for an answer, which she knew he wouldn't, she begrudgingly got out of bed, as he jumped back down to the floor. She sat on the edge for a moment, stretched and yawned, while Fenrir and Igrayne looked on, with their piercing amber eyes. As she started to unbutton her red union suit, she shot her two companions her _own_ piercing little stare. As he was satisfied that she was in fact getting ready for work, he wandered out into the main room, to let her get dressed in privacy, followed by Igrayne.

As much as Allison loved her new job, she really missed not being able to get up when she pleased. After fully awakening, she stood up briskly, as her union suit dropped to the floor and began to get dressed. She picked up the pace when she remembered that she wanted to get a good early start at the kennel today, as they had the last group of dogs, she had rounded up, trained nearly to the point that that Corporal Peterson and his half wit assistant, could probably finish up without _too_ many problems, she figured. This meant that tomorrow, she would be able to head a small hunting party, in search of more and escape the confines of the tunnels for awhile. Also and most importantly, Fenrir and Igrayne would be able to accompany her, for a change.

"Dad?...Dad?" ...she called out, while emerging from her room, in full fatigues with her pearl handled revolvers strapped to her hips. She looked at his bunk curiously and noticed that it appeared as if it hadn't been slept in...

... _"Hmm,... he hasn't made it home yet I see..…"I bet he'll be in fine_ _shape when he finally does show up" ... _She though to herself with a chuckle, as she headed toward a fifty five gallon drum full of dry synthetic dog food…

… "_I'd sure hate to be in his boots when Aunt Freyja sees him."… _She thought, while shaking her head slightly…..

While scooping out two generous portions of the dry mixture, into a couple of metal bowls, it sunk in that Freyja was absent as well.

….. "Aunt Freyja?"…. she called out, with a slightly concerned look, while glancing around the room…

No matter _how_ angry and impatient Freyja may have gotten, while waiting for her Dad to return, she would _never_ abandon her post. That would be totally unlike her. She would wait for him to actually dismiss her, _regardless_ of how mad she was or how drunk he may have been, but the fact remained, that he had not yet returned and she was missing as well.

The look of concern turned to outright worry, as several possible scenarios ran through her mind.

While her Dad, during a sparring match, she could "take out" without a whole lot of trouble, he was _still_ a pretty "tough customer." She _knew_ that, sober or drunk, he would have _no_ problem defending himself, from the ruffians that were known to occasion the more remote areas of the tunnel system during the wee hours of the morning, if the need should arise. Freyja, however, was different. While she had shown _tremendous _aptitude and potential, for the art of self defense, during her first training session, she was still _extremely_ "green." Allison _knew_ that a gang of thugs would have no problem _whatsoever_ "having their way with her," should that situation develop. Visions of her being raped or worse, by denizens of the pit, flashed through her mind, as she dropped what she was doing and started for the door in a near panic.

She stopped in her tracks and let out an audible sigh of relief, when she noticed two unfinished mugs of coffee, sitting on the table. It was clear evidence that her Dad had made it home earlier and that he and Freyja had had coffee together, before they went to where ever it was that they had run off to. Their whereabouts was still a mystery, as she couldn't imagine where they may have went at this hour, but she was at least satisfied that Freyja was safe and not wandering about the tunnels alone.

Freyja had lectured Allison, a few times in the past, on how that the food served in the mess halls, while being rather bland, was very nutritious and much superior to anything her Dad had in his stock, in regards to actual nutritional value. She figured that the most likely scenario was that, upon her Dad's arrival, Freyja had fixed him some coffee in an attempt to sober him up and suggested that a good nutritious breakfast, before retiring, was what he needed, to ward of a possible horrendous hang over. Her Dad, not wanting to invoke her ire any more than he already had, had complied with her wishes. By the time they would finish their breakfast, there would be a sufficient amount of military personnel about, on their way to work, so that the journey from the mess hall to her place would be relatively safe. Freyja would them send her Dad home to get some sleep, before retiring to her own quarters.

There was still another possibility that came to mind.

Allison reflected upon Freyja's designs concerning her Dad and what she had perceived to be her Dad's actually feelings toward her, under his act and thought….with just a hint of a grin developing…..

… "_Hmm…I wonder….what if?"…._but on second thought, as she recalled back on Freyja's surprising ineptness concerning dealings with the opposite sex and her Dad's "girl phobia," she rolled her eyes and thought to herself, as she went back to preparing Fenrir and Igrayne's breakfast….

….._ "Naa,…..I seriously doubt that!"…"but I suppose a nice early morning breakfast together is a step in the right direction"….._she further thought, with a slight shrug of her shoulders, while placing the two metal bowls before her companions.

Fenrir gave his breakfast a rather disapproving look, sniffed it and looked back up to Allison who replied…..

… "Ya, ya.. I know… it sucks, but until we get outside again, which should be soon now, it will have to do"… she ruffled the fur on top of his head and added…..

… "So dig in and if all goes well, we should be going outside tomorrow, where you guys can find some real food"…..At that she grabbed her backpack and headed out the door, as Fenrir and Igrayne reluctantly started crunching away at their rations.

* * *

**Feb. 17, 2022**

**New Los Angeles, Ca.**

**K-9 Training Facility**

**0602 Hrs. **

**.**

Corporal Young scurried about the kennel completing her early morning chores of feeding the dogs, cleaning out their cages and setting up an obstacle course for the day's training session. She remarked to herself on the deplorable condition in which Corporal Peterson had left their cages, as he was the one who had closed up the previous day.

* * *

Corporal Peterson and Private Taylor leisurely made their way toward the kennel, sipping their coffee. Peterson wondered if Allison was there already and inquired casually…..

….. "Well I wonder if the ol 'Wolf Girl' is there yet?"….

….. "You know _damn well _she is Bob…. when has she ever not been _at least _thirty minuets early?…..and…. well…._we are _running a few minuets late."…

….. "Lucky us"….. Peterson commented dryly…..

….. "Ya know Bob, I've been thinking"….. Mike interjected…. "She's really been a great help to us…but don't get me wrong"….. he clarified …. "The girl _definitely_ has issues.. she can be quite trying at times and I _still _think she's potentially dangerous…. but you'll have to admit that if it wasn't for her, Perry would have had us _both_ replaced by now and back on the front lines, with the rest of the grunts. I heard that Perry asked her if she wanted different assistants… and like it or not, even though she doesn't out rank you, she _is_ in charge and we _are_ her assistants….. She told him that we would do and thought she could teach us to be adequate trainers in time"…..

…. "_Adequate_?…. _In time_?…. well now…. what in _the world _did we ever do to deserve such flattery ….. from _her _royal ass?"…. Bob asked sarcastically…

… "Well Bob.. I mean coming from _her_, that _is_ about as close to a complement as you can come" … Mike explained, then added….. "and I'm sure you've noticed that when working with the animals, she's like a totally different person…maybe we've _been wrong _about her….. maybe she's _not_ as bad as she seems….maybe we should lighten up on her…give her a chance"…..

….. "_Us_ lighten up on _her_?… _us _give _her_ a chance?… Bob bellowed while turning around to face Mike, with an incredulous look on his face… "have you lost your marbles _completely_!"…. And as a slight grin came to his face, he further inquired…..

….."Hey Mike?…uh you wouldn't be maybe getting sweet on her now…_would you?"… _

… "Oh I don't know about that"….. Mike responded with a shrug of his shoulders…. "but she _is _kinda cute sometimes… you've said that your self…. Who knows?…maybe she's just sexually frustrated…. _Maybe _she just needs to meet the right guy?"….

…. "Oh ya…. of course ….. and I suppose you're that Romeo that's going to sweep her of her feet and tame the wild beast?"…. Bob exclaimed, before rolling his eyes and turning back around to continue toward the kennel entrance….. without looking back, he added with a slight chuckle…..

….. "I'll be sure to _congratulate you _after your wedding night, when she slices your _dick off _and stuffs it down your throat"….

Before Mike could respond, or Bob could reach for the kennel door, another Corporal, that Bob recognized as part of Colonel Perry's staff, came rushing up behind them.

… "Corporal Peterson?"….. he inquired breathlessly ….

Bob just nodded his head slightly, with a worried look that was quickly replaced by a look of relief, as the newcomer announced…..

… "Dispatch for Corporal Allison Young"… as he handed him a folded up piece of paper… "Commander Perry wishes to see her….. On the double!"… he added before briskly turning and striding away.

… "Wonder what that's all about?"….. Mike queried with a puzzled look

… "Hey Mike"… Bob said, while placing a hand on Mike's shoulder with a slight grin….. "When does the old man _ever_ want to see somebody _'on the double_,' if it's not to give them a major _ass_ chewing?….hmm?…. And knowing our _dear _Ms. Young, if he wants to chew _her_ ass, it's probably for some _atrocity _she's committed against someone recently and again, knowing _her_, it's most likely _not_ a minor incident. Maybe he'll finally come to his senses and bust her back to a civilian again…disarm her….. put her back in a cage…. send her packing back to Death Valley, or wherever the fuck she came from. At least she'll be out of _our hair_"… "Hallelujah !"…. he exclaimed, while gazing upward and thrusting his arms out to his sides….. "There _is_ a God in heaven after all!"….

….. " I duno Bob"….. Mike remarked while taking another sip of his coffee….. "I still say were better off with her than without"…..

…. "Ya…. of course Mike… for those of us who let the little head do the thinking for the big head that is"….. Bob explained with a chuckle while opening the door…

* * *

….. "You're late!…. _again_"… were the first words they heard upon entering the kennel.

Allison was kneeling down grooming a large German Shepherd with her back to them. Before they could respond to her "greeting," she got up with a sigh, turned to face them with crossed arms and asked, with her customary baneful glare…

…. "How would you two brainless assmonkeys like to sleep in _your_ own shit all night?"…

Ignoring her comments, Bob stepped forward calmly, with a slight sneer on his face and said…..

….. "My _dear _Ms. Young, as much as I'd like to _discuss _this matter with you for the rest of the morning, while being _assailed _by your insults, it's come to my attention that someone _else _would like to have word with you….. _right now_"…. he added while handing her the note…

She snatched it from his hand, opened and stared at it for a moment, then stuffed it into her shirt pocket. Kneeling back down to the Shepherd, she grabbed his head, kissed his nose and said….

….. "Looks like I'll have to leave you guys alone with these morons for a bit…. so be patient with them Ok?"…and as she glanced up to them and back…added…. "They're _not_ real bright"…..

…. "_Ah yes…charming to the end_"… Peterson thought to himself, as she arose and haughtily headed toward the door, while assuring him…..

….. "and don't _you _worry… my _sweet_"…. she assured him….. "I'll be _back_…and we _will_ discuss this matter"…..

He watched as she stomped of into the early morning crowd, till she disappeared and said under his breath…

… "Not if there's a God in heaven will you be back"…

….. "I duno Bob…. For some reason I got a real bad feeling about this…_real_ bad"….Mike commented, while sipping his coffee…

* * *

**Feb. 17, 2022**

**New Los Angeles, CA.**

****

Colonel **Justin Perry's Office**

**0645 Hrs. **

.

Commander Perry sat behind his desk mulling over a pile of intelligence reports, flanked by an armed guard at either side of the office. A slight tapping sound came from the door, just before it swung open to reveal the form of Corporal Allison Young sauntering in, as the two guards went for their weapons. Perry glanced up for a second and held up a hand signaling for the guards to stand down, as the fourteen year old Corporal plopped down in an old overstuffed chair before his desk, rested her chin on her fist staring at the Colonel and announced…..

….. "Well, I'm here"…..

Without looking up from his paperwork, Perry calmly said….

….. "Yes, so I noticed… come on in"….. and after a short pause, added dryly…..

…. "please be seated"….

After another moment or two of silence, Allison piped up and stated, rather than asked…..

…. "You wanted to see me"….

Perry let out a sigh, as he looked up from his reports, then leaned back in his chair with his hands clasped behind his neck. He stared at her for a moment then clarified…

….. "Let's get something _straight_ here Corporal, I don't _want_ to see you…. I don't think I've _ever_ wanted to see you, but unfortunately I _need_ to see you…..there's a difference there."… He leaned forward, folded his hands on his desk, stared intently at the brash little Corporal and continued on…..

….. "Your….. Father, as you refer to him….. In spite of being a _notorious_ black marketeer, is an _exceptional_ basic training instructor…. a soldier from the _old school_….. his"…..he paused momentarily, searching for the right word… "_associate_ …. Corporal Buhjornsdohteer"….

….. "Björnsdóttir"…..Allison quickly corrected, as he continued on, undaunted by her chastisement….

…. "while starting to become quite the, shall we say, _entrepreneur_ herself, is _universally_ loved and _respected _as an all around good, decent human being and a _lady _of the first order… You would _think,_ that between the two of them, they could have instilled in you just a _trace_ of military courtesy and maybe a _hint, _on how to get along with your fellow man"….

….. "Ya, they tried"…. Allison responded with a shrug of her shoulders, then added matter of factly, as she tossed her head haughtily…

…. "but it didn't seem to take so well"…..

Perry placed his elbows on his desk, rested his chin on his upheld clasped hands and stared at her for a moment in amazement, then inquired…..

….. "Corporal Young, let me ask you something. Are you actually as socially ignorant and insensitive as you _appear_ to be?…. or do you just take _delight _in pissing people off?"…..

A slight smirk colored her face as she was about to respond, but Perry held his hands out in front of him, somewhat defensively, as he recanted…..

….. "No, no…on second thought, don't even _answer_ that."….. Then went on to say in a frustrated tone… "I can see that this conversation is _pointless_ and just an exercise in futility anyway, so lets just skip any further formalities and get to the point of this meeting"…. He made a gesture with his hands to the two guards and they left the room closing the door behind them. When the door was closed he continued on…..

…. "As you may or may not know, we are slowly but surely loosing this war. The actual fighting may be at an all time low, but every day our supplies run a little shorter. The crews maintaining the solar collectors come under heavier fire and scrutiny by Sky Net forces and every week another section of the colony is finding itself without electrical service, as power has to be conserved for more essential operations. Disease, sickness and violent crime is spiraling out of control, in the lower levels and is starting to spread to the mid level, as moral in general plummets to an all time low. Sky Net knows, as well as we do, that it's just a matter of time, before this whole complex blinks out forever. That's why they're not really bothering with us anymore. They know were not worth the trouble."…..

….. "Sea-Tac"…he continued …. "on the other hand, is doing quite well. They have Sky Net literally 'on the run,' in the Tacoma-Seattle area and according to the last we heard, planned to actually start rebuilding on the surface, to a limited extent, within the year.

They have an unlimited sources of power, from newly discovered and developed deep underground geo-thermal sources. Their manufacturing capability increases daily, along with actual above ground farming and ranching operations, producing fresh meat, grain, fruits and vegetables.

Their army, navy and air force is as well equipped, organized and maintained as any pre-war military force. With this fighting force they are more than capable of fending off just about anything Sky-Net can throw against them, along with slowly expanding their sphere of influence, by taking back Sky-Net and human rouge faction controlled territory, in the Pacific North West. They are indisputably the hope of every _civilized_ human being on the west coast and most likely the North American continent..…possibly the world"…..

….. "Well now that's all _real_ interesting"…. Allison sarcastically commented, while calmly examining her fingernails…

….. "but what's all that have to do with me sitting in this stuffy little office, in this underground shit hole with the likes of you?"…. She inquired calmly, without eye contact, as she continued to pick at her nails…..

….. "Ms. Young, would it _really_ be to much to ask… would it _kill_ you to just _maybe_, on _occasion_, work the term 'Sir' into your dialog?"… Perry inquired in an exasperated tone…

…. "No, I don't suppose it would _kill _me"…. she responded, then looked him straight in the eye and said….

…. "With the likes of _you_"….. and halfheartedly out of the side of her mouth added….

….. "Sir"… "happy now?"…she asked coolly, while returning to her makeshift manicure….

Perry rubbed his forehead, as if he were getting a splitting headache and said, half to himself…..

… "Well I _guess_ that's a step in the right direction"….. regained his composure and continued on…

… "So anyway, if you will_ allow_ me to continue… The biggest problem here is that, if we all expect to survive, much less win this war, there needs to be communication between us and Sea-Tac. We need to work together, because as impressive as their accomplishments are at the moment, they too will fall to a world full of angry machines, in time, if it comes down to them vs. the entire world. Even they can't stand forever, totally alone."…

… "Sky-Net pretty much has long distance communication sewed up. What satellite and other forms of wireless communication they don't jamb, they mimic. They seem to be masters at breaking any codes we can come up with. We never know if their listening in on what we send, or if what we hear is not really Sky-Net in disguise. Until such time comes, that a secure form of wireless communication can be devised, which I don't think will be any time soon, any type of information that we would not want Sky-Net to be aware of, must be sent strictly by courier…. and that's where you fit in to the grand scheme of things…._ If_ ….you should decide to accept this assignment"…

….. "Let me first be perfectly clear"….. He continued…. "This assignment will be extremely dangerous and I can not order you to accept it_, regardless _of my personal opinion of you…. It must be strictly volunteer. This is not the first time it has been attempted, I might add. So far, nobody has even made it as far as Treasure Island, in San Francisco Bay"…

….. "_If_ you accept this mission, you will make the over two thousand mile round trip from here to Treasure Island and the Sea-Tac colony at Tacoma Washington, twice a month and whenever else the occasion might require it. You will have six other volunteers, of your selection, that you personally will train. You will have your choice of vehicles and weapons from our armory and motor pool, as well as Sea-Tac's ..once you get there. You will essentially have an open account to requisition whatever you might feel you may need to complete a mission, within reason. However once you're outside of the resistance's areas of control, here, the bay area and Tacoma, you will be totally on your own"…..

… "We will not be able to supply any manor of back up or assistance, if you should get into trouble. We will not be able to provide any sort of intelligence reports, to aid you in planning the journeys simply because we have none. You will be traveling over thousands of miles of virtually unknown territory. Your survival will depend totally on your combat and survival skills, wits and cunning, along with the skills of the six others in your squad"….

…. "With the exception of the Portland area, which we know to be a major Sky-Net stronghold, we have at this time, very little if any information on the areas outside of our control and any information we do have is most likely woefully outdated.

The dangers you may face could include the ever present Sky-Net HK patrols of course, gangs of bandits, radioactive 'hot spots' and more than likely areas controlled by powerful warlords. While, as I stated previously, our intelligence concerning this new 'wilderness' is sketchy at best, the general consensus is that your greatest danger will not be from Sky-Net forces, but rather various renegade human factions …..I don't want to open up old wounds here, but from your past _associations_, I think you're more than aware of what such groups can be capable of."…..

…"Your first and foremost duty, if you accept this assignment, will be that of a courier. You will become a line of communication between us and the Pacific North West. Your secondary directive will be simple 'fact finding'…. reconnaissance, find out and report back on what exactly is going on out there. You are to, if possible, make contact with any potentially friendly factions, that may want to join our cause and aid them, as long as it does not interfere with or cause any undo delays of the execution of your primary function"…

….… "Sea-Tac has, at their Bangor Washington Navel Base, three Virginia class, two Los Angeles class and one Sea Wolf class submarines. If you are successful and survive this mission and after an effective and reliable line of communication has been established, they will be able to start sending much needed supplies down here to us by sea. You and your company, again if you're successful, could easily become pivotal in turning this war in our favor"…..

…. "Ok,…. so if this role is _so_ vital, why are you willing to entrust it to me?"….. Allison inquired while giving him a very suspicious look…

…"We _all _know your opinion of me, how much you _trust_ me… all because of my former _associations_, which I _didn't_ have much choice of at the time and let's not forget because I'm a girl, a little too outspoken for _your_ liking and you're a sexist. It seems to me, that you're offering me this _golden opportunity_"…. she stated sarcastically… "as a convenient way to dispose of me" ….she concluded while crossing her arms and staring it him defiantly…..

….. "Ok Corporal, seeing as how we're _baring our souls _here, let _me_ say a few things…. _off_ the record …of course."…

….."Yes, you're right"…He affirmed, as he rose from his seat, planted his fists on his desk, leaned toward her and continued in a more forceful tone…..

…..I'm not sure if I _do _trust you… as far as my personal opinion of you goes…well let's just say you're an _extremely_ difficult person to like, but it has absolutely nothing to do with your past allegiances."…

…"I'll _admit,_ that at one point in time, that was the case, but Lieutenant Connor, God rest his soul, convinced me to take a chance on you, that you weren't like the rest of them and he was right…you're not. You are, however without a doubt, the most arrogant, rebellious, rude and self absorbed individual I have ever had the displeasure to meet. You seem to delight in feeling sorry for yourself and strut around with a chip on your shoulder the size of the Rock of Gibraltar."…..

….. "You seem to forget that I am the ultimate authority here, judge, jury and executioner, if it were to come to that. If I wanted to simply _get rid of you, _I would have done so by now. I don't think I'd have any problem finding volunteers to assist with that end and Connor is no longer with us, unfortunately, to intercede for you…. oh…and_ by the way_…..you owe _that _man more that you can imagine"…..

….. "Ya right…. that will be the day"….. She muttered under her breath…..

…. "As far as me being a _sexist,_ as you put it"…. he continued on, ignoring her comment….

… "Yes, I'll be the first to admit that I don't like putting women in combat or high ranking positions, _if_ I can help it. In my experience, it eventually creates problems. What always seems to happen is that some _gallant_ young soldier puts himself in needless danger, in an attempt to look out for the _fair lady_, that could have probably handled the situation just fine on her own and gets himself killed…In your case, however, I don't think _that_ would be a problem"…. he added with a slight chuckle and went on to say … .

….."You'd probably be _lucky_ if one of your own men didn't try to _frag_ your ass, your _attitude _being what it is"…

….. "Ya sure, let them try it"….. Allison commented boldly…

….. "Well ya, like I said,… _try… _I _also_ think that would be a _big_ mistake on their part"…. Perry agreed…

….. "if for no _other_ reason, because of who your former _mentor_ was"… he added while staring at her with a pointed look and very sly grin…..

A sudden look of astonishment came over Allison, as he continued….

….. "I see that that _surprises_ you,…. this old 'stick in the mud,' as you like to refer to me, has been around and knows a little more than you think. Yes, we may not know _everything_, but we do know a few things about _Cameron." ….. _

….. "_That_ scoundrel….. that _name_, along with _numerous_ other aliases, had been popping up in files from the CIA, FBI, KGB, Scotland Yard, Interpol, Executive Outcomes, Légion étrangère and God only knows how many other governmental, law enforcement and paramilitary organizations, decades before J-Day ever happened…Whew!"….. He let out a sigh, while shaking his head slightly and continued…..

… "You had _quite_ the teacher!…. We knew that Cameron had ended up in Death Valley and assumed that you two had probably met, but as far as a being your personal mentor, we didn't know. After learning of your various _talents_,…..well…. we knew, it was obvious ….. you learned from the _best …. _probably the most elusive and _dangerous_, I might add, _rouge _of modern times… but"….. and as he paused for moment and settled back down in his chair with a sigh… …

….. "it serves as a recommendation for the job we are offering you"…

….. "This job _has _to get done, it's as simple as that. My personal opinion of you is _besides_ the point. Knowing your combat and survival skills, we think you just might be able to handle this seemingly suicidal mission and _that's_ why it's being offered."…..

….. "There's only one thing that bothers me about putting you in charge of this vital operation"…

….. "Oh ya?…. Now what could _that_ be?"….. she inquired with a smirk…..

…. "You will be delivering messages, at times, of a _highly _classified nature, be privy to vital information and will need clearance to highly restricted areas. You, like your mentor, seem to be the most _amoral_ person ever created, whose only cause is to your self"….

Allison thought of Sergeant Mc Cook, her Aunt Freyja and what they meant to her and especially her love for Kyle. She recalled back to her final days in Death Valley, where she and Cameron had fought furiously beside and defending each other, first from the Brotherhood of the Light and then during their last stand against Connor and his men. She clenched her fists and gave Perry her trademark "death stare," as she started to rise from her chair.

Perry, on noticing her sudden reaction to his comments, quickly held his hands out in front of him and hastily added….

….. "with the exception of a _few_ that _somehow_ find favor in your eyes. To them you are _fiercely_ loyal,….but to all else, you could care less"….

She realized he was right. For those few that she loved, she would gladly die, but the rest of the human race could just go "sit on a tack," as far as she was concerned. She relaxed and settled back into her chair, but kept staring at him with an unholy fire in her eyes, as he continued …

….. "It's _true_, I don't think much of you personally. I don't _like_ you and I _know_ you don't like me and to be perfectly honest Corporal, if there was _anyone_ else that I thought was even _remotely_ capable of 'pulling this off,' I wouldn't be having this talk with you."….. He folded his hands on the desk in front of him and gazed down at them with another sigh, before continuing….

….. "but unfortunately there's not …..and I don't know how much longer we can hold out….The last we heard from Sea-Tac was over a month ago and I was _informed_ that they can no longer afford to risk _blindly_ sending their Submarines down here with supplies, _unless _a reliable means of communication can be established. Our soldiers will run out of ammunition, the solar collectors will be found and overrun, all electrical power will cease and we will all go down together, ….me, you _and_…..those two people that you seem to think so much of"….. he added while glancing back up to her with a solemn expression…..

… "Something to think about, …eh Corporal?"….

For the first time since the beginning of their little meeting, a solemn expression started to spread over Allison's features, as she attentively listened to what the Colonel had to say….

… "You are cold, calculating and deceitful. Your insubordination and rebelliousness defies the imagination and I'm starting to wonder if I made a mistake in putting you in that uniform, that quite frankly you're a _disgrace_ to. Your treatment and attitude toward your fellow soldiers, along with people in general, is _abominable_ and I sometimes wonder if you don't have _severe_ mental problems. If this was the pre-war military, I can _guarantee_ that you would be rotting away in either a military prison, or a maximum security psychiatric ward."…..

Allison wanted to come back, in the worst way, with one of her famous snotty responses and perhaps more. Nobody had ever, in her life, given her the chastisements that she had received today, from the man sitting behind that desk…. and gotten away with it that is, but somehow she could not. For the first time in years, she actually felt a twinge of humility, as she continued to listen, with a slight downcast look about her…

….. "but in spite of your _so obvious _flaws"…. he continued on, as he stood up, clasped his hands behind his back and began pacing the floor…

… I also know, that if you _do _give your word to somebody, you would _die_ before going back on it to betray them. On your little hunting expeditions, you have proved, many times now, that in a _combat_ situation you will stop at _nothing_ to ensure the survival of your comrades in arms, no matter _what_ you may think of them personally and no matter how badly you may treat them in day to day life. When you're given an assignment, come hell or high water, you _will _complete it."… He stopped pacing for a moment and with his hands still clasped behind his back, he turned away from her and stated…

… "I'm not a politician, an administrator, strategist any sort of tactical genius and only _marginally_ a leader, I _know_ that. I do this job simply because there is nobody else at the moment that is willing to, much less able to… I'm a warrior."… He turned back around to face her and with a solemn look and very sincere tone of voice he added…..

… "and so are you… of the _highest_ caliber….. and for _that_, you have my highest respect."…..

… "I have a job that absolutely _has_ to be done…. and as expediently as possible. I truly believe that _you_ can do it."…

….. "So, will you accept this assignment and give me your word of honor, _as a warrior_, that you will _not_ betray me? …not to _me,_ the man you so _obviously_ hate, _not_ to the cause of the resistance or the human race in general, but simply to another warrior_. _If you accept this assignment, I give you my word, _as_ a warrior, that you, if you survive and the two people you seem to consider as your family, even if you _do not _survive, will receive certain 'perks'…beyond your pay, which will be _generous,_ in of it's self."…

He took a step toward her, straightened his uniform, looked her straight in her eye and asked…

…. "So what will it be Corporal?"…..

The complements he had just paid her, all but totally dismissed the feelings of humility she had started to experience, as a result of his previous "tongue lashing." As she stared up at him, her characteristic cocky smirk started to return, however not to the degree it had been earlier. It was true, she didn't particularly like him, but he _had_ been quite honest and forthright with her. Aside from Cameron, Kyle, Sergeant Mc Cook and Freyja, he was the _only_ other person, since J-Day, she could think of that had been. On top of that, she knew that when he had "pissed her off," with some of his earlier comments that, without his armed guards present, she could have very easily "put him down," _permanently_, if she had wanted to and would have absolutely no qualms about doing it. She figured that he was aware of that as well and _still,_ he had continued to unflinchingly speak his mind, _exactly_ as he saw fit, _regardless_ of what her reaction might be. While she still considered him rather inept as a leader, a fact that he _too_ had admitted, she now actually felt as if she had a bit of respect for him. In light of their little discussion, there also seemed to be no reason for him to lie to her and he would most likely keep his word. Besides, if he didn't….well he would pay, she would make _certain_ of that.

The more she thought about it, the more it appealed to her, away from this underground shit hole and the stale rancid air. She'd be out in the open air again, exploring new places. There'd be adventure, excitement and fresh game for food. Fenrir and Igrayne would always be with her. Her Dad would be so proud of her and Freyja as well, although she _would_ worry. She saddened a bit, when she thought of her Dad and Aunt Freyja and how she would miss them, but she _would_ be seeing them between trips.

She knew little of Sea-Tac, but from what she had heard, it was infinitely better than the glorified ant colony, she and her family now called home. During their many little talks, she had learned that Freyja, had at times, wished that she could be there. Her Dad, while seeming content with running his little operation in New Los Angeles, she figured could do very well there himself, his entrepreneurial skills being what they were. With this new job, she figured there could, in time, be a chance that she could help them to get a start there. They had both done so much for her. Perhaps now, she could eventually pay them back.

She stood up, looked him in the eye and said calmly…..

….. "I'll do it…and you have my word…I promise"…

….. "Very well"…. and with just the hint of a smile, he said…

…. "Welcome aboard"…..as he reached out and shook her hand, then motioned toward the chair and said…"Please be seated, if you would"….

She sat back down in her chair, but this time without her usual surly, smart-alecky demeanor, but actually somewhat attentive, as he returned to his desk and continued on…

…. "The next couple of days you may spend as you wish. You can continue working at the kennel if you like, or just take the time to spend with your family. The choice is your's"…..

…"On the nineteenth of this month, at 0500, you are to report to the training facility, where you will select from a group of fifty volunteers, twenty five that you will put through a rigorous training regime. The nature and curriculum of their training will be strictly up to your discretion. Whatever it takes, in your estimation, to prepare them for the perils they may face. You will have up to six weeks to have a finely honed team of elite fighting men ready for the first mission. I wish I could give you more time, but as I've already pointed out, we're rapidly coming into a _very_ serious situation. We _must _move forward on this in the most timely fashion as possible. Six weeks is actually "pushing it" to the limit. Only six will make the grade, so don't go easy on them"…and with a chuckle he added….

….."and knowing _you, _I doubt that _that_ will be a problem, they'll probably look at your _Dad_ as a boy scout troop leader, by comparison."….

….. "Well that shouldn't be a problem, as long as I have the right _material _to work with"….. Allison interjected, her normal cockiness fully restored…. "What if out of these fifty so called…. _men_ …there aren't _any_ that are capable?"…

Perry closed his eyes and rested his forehead in the palm of his right hand for a moment. He let out a frustrated sounding sigh, as he looked back to her and continued…..

….. "Miss Young, I can't remember when, if _ever_, I've met anyone as _difficult_ as your self….. I _hope_ to _God_ I'm not making a big mistake with you here today"…..

….. "Anyway, to address your question"….. He continued….. "I realize that you have a rather low opinion of the soldiers on this base, but lets at least _try not _to, _immediately_, sell them all so short…. Ok? These men have been selected from a group of two hundred volunteers. They have all received their basic training from your Father and indecently, _he _was the one who did the initial "weeding out." They all, _without exception_, come with his _personal_ recommendation. You will essentially be taking over, where he left off. I would rather think, that out of _fifty_, you should be able to find six that are, as you put it, the proper material."….

She gazed down to the floor briefly then back up to him and simply nodded her head, to indicate that his explanation was acceptable, for the moment….. He then continued…..

….. "Upon completion of their training, you and your men will embark on your first mission. They are _not_ to be told the nature of this project, until that time. The only thing they've been told is that they are volunteering for an _extremely _hazardous assignment, will be part of a special elite force and be _well_ compensated for their effort."….

Sky-Net knows that if they can kill our communications, prevent us from uniting and keep the different resistance colonies 'in the dark,' so to speak, that they will win without much other action on their part. This entire operation is to remain top secret, for obvious reasons. Your designation will simply be know as "Special Operations" and the exact nature of those operations will be know only to Me, General Mitchell at Sea-Tac, Colonel Roberts at Treasure Island, you and your men. Also, your exact departure time and date, of this and all following missions, you will only make known to your men, two hours beforehand. Upon arrival at Treasure Island and ultimately Tacoma, you and _only_ you will report to and _only_ to, Colonel Roberts and General Mitchell respectively. You will be given a password that will change with every mission, giving you access to Mitchell's private command bunker."…..

… "If this password is to change with every mission"…Allison interjected…. "and communication is as screwed up as you say is, then how will they know what the new one is before I get there?"…

….. "They have already be determined"….. Perry explained…. "for this and the following ten missions. When they have expired, Mitchell will draw up ten more and give the list to you in sealed envelopes, to be delivered to Colonel Roberts and myself."….

Allison, satisfied with the explanation, simply nodded her head slightly as he continued….

…. "The risks you and your special elite troops will be taking is beyond measure, the demands will be as no others have yet to deal with, but it will not be without compensation" ….

….. "You and your men, will be _paid_, not in credits as we are here, but in actual Sea-Tac issued coins. While they have little value _here_ at this time, we hope to see that change, after they are able to start regularly scheduled supply runs. At such time we plan to institute the same monetary system. Prior to that time, you will be able to exchange them for credits, for use here, if you so wish. You will be paid at the rate of five gold coins per mission, your men, depending on rank, will receive between one and three. To give you an _idea_ of what that is worth, let me briefly explain how their and ours, in the future, monetary system works."…..

….."Their coins have four denominations, tin, copper, silver and gold. Each type is worth one hundred times the previous denomination. For example… one gold coin is equal to one hundred silver coins."…..

…"The average civilian worker, up there, earns between fifty copper and two silver coins per month. Enlisted personnel in their military receive, between fifty copper and twenty-five silver, depending on rank. _You _will have the potential to earn about twenty _gold_ pieces per month, as each one way trip is a separate mission. Your lowest paid soldiers will earn four."….

….. "Here and at Sea-Tac, you and your men will each be given their own _permanent_ private quarters and the ones up there, from what I've heard, are pretty damn nice. In the event of your deaths, if that should happen, your families….. and by the way"… he added…

….. "I have decided that you will, henceforth, be officially recognized, as Sergeant Mc Cook's legally adopted daughter…. just though I'd throw that in. He's been pestering me about that, in case you didn't know, since you first arrived in his life. I figured, in light of your decision here today, that it's time"….. he explained with a shrug of his shoulders…..

…. "So _anyway_, as I was about to say"…. He reiterated….. "In the event of your deaths, your families will receive the equivalent of one year's salary as compensation. Last and perhaps least, but worthy of mention, you will all receive special dress uniforms from Sea-Tac when you arrive there, that will be different from their's to distinguish you as the elite unit, of which you will be…. I suppose that you might as well leave them in your quarters up there"… he explained while thoughtfully scratching his head… "as we have little use of such things down here… at least for the present time"….. he clarified ….. "but you and your squadron, when they have successfully completed their training and earned the right, will be issued these to proudly wear with their fatigues"….

He opened a drawer, pulling out a sack and tossed it across his desk to Allison. She stared curiously at it for a second, then reached in and pulled out a deep purple beret, along with a shield shaped gold colored patch, on which was embroidered the likeness of a black snarling wolf's head, with red fiery eyes. She stared at them, especially the patch, in wonder for a second and before she could speak, Perry said…..

….. "Go ahead,….. put it on, you've already earned _your's_ and if you're wondering about the patch, it's your squadron's logo… Young's Wolves…get it sewn on ASAP."…..

For the first time since she had stepped into his office, a pleased looking smile colored her face, as she examined the wolf's head patch, got up, strutted over to a small mirror in a corner of the room and donned her beret, adjusting it to a rakish angle.

….. "Yes, …. we _figured_ the name would meet with your approval"… He added, upon noticing her reaction to the little surprise.

As she returned to her seat, with a new jaunty look about her, he explained further with a slightly concerned look…

….. "I fear that I _may_ be 'going out on a limb' and perhaps 'creating a monster,' knowing your already cocky, superior attitude, but it needs to be done. That beret, along with the patch, will not only serve as a mere symbol of pride and accomplishment, for you and the members of your future squadron, but it will also be a badge of authority. It will give you _and_ your men, the authority to pass, _unchallenged_, through any security check point in this entire colony, at any time, including unlimited free access to the surface. You will be quite literally be a _privileged_ class and I pray you don't abuse it, to become more of an ego-maniac than you already are"….

An arrogant smirk spread over her face as he continued…

…. "These _privileges, _however, will not come without a price. When you are not out on a mission and are here at this end, unless you're on actual leave of absence, you _will_ be on duty and on call, twenty four seven. You and your band of elites will _also_ be a special police force and will be expected to respond to any emergency situation, at a moments notice, _regardless_ of what you may be doing, any time of the day or night. We _both_ know what the crime rate is getting like, so I don't think you're going to have a lot of free time on your hands. You're not going to have _time_ to get into trouble. _Maybe_ this will provide a way to constructively _vent_ some of that pent up hostility you seem to have. While you're at Treasure Island and Tacoma, your duties and privileges there will be at Colonel Roberts and General Mitchell's discretion respectively. So, do you have any questions Corporal?"….. He concluded…

….. "Ya, I have a few"….. she responded curtly…..

….. "I'm _not _saying that I don't want to do this, I'm _actually _looking forward to it and think it might even be fun, but why do we have to make several trips way up there, _overland_, before they can send supplies down to us by _sea_? They _have_ sent submarines down here in the past, so what's the difference now?"….. she inquired with a puzzled look….

…. "Ok,… while their manufacturing capability is impressive, it's _not_ unlimited."... Perry went on to explain... "They still don't have the resources of facilities to produce the uranium fuel rods that power their subs. They do have a supply of them, but it's _very_ limited. They must be conserved as their navy is _also_ constantly circling the globe, in _hopes_ of finding other pockets of humanity. Also, these submarines are _irreplaceable_ at the present time and are _vital_ to the war effort.

They can repair them to a limited degree, but there are _no_ shipyards, _or_ are the quantity of resources that such a project would _require, _available to build more, if they should loose one. The _last _time they sent one to us, the trip was a total _waste_ of precious resources and _almost _ended up as a disaster.

The sub pens, that they had been use to docking at, had been destroyed two months prior. We had tried to warn them, via satellite communication at that time, but the message obviously had never gotten through. Upon arrival, by the time they had gotten close enough in, to realized that the pens were unusable, they had come under attack by a Sky-Net aerial drone and became caught in debris while trying to escape. _Fortunately_ they managed to shoot the HK down and free themselves, just as reinforcements showed up in _force_ and escape to deep water, with only minor damage.

A day latter, they had managed to find a secluded beach area, where they could start the long, slow process of unloading their cargo by shuttle. Before they began, however, they sent a shore party in to inform us of their arrival and to get extra manpower for the unloading process. As it turned out, they claimed that they had received a message that the pens were clear and secured, obviously of Sky-Net origins and a trap. Also _none_ of the supplies that they had brought to us, had we requested and none of what we _did_ need, did they have onboard. The whole trip had been a _waste_ of precious, irreplaceable resources and they came within half a click of loosing an irreplaceable strategic asset, along with a trained crew, all because there had been no reliable communication for over two months. The only cargo that _did_ manage to get unloaded were two men, that had been transferred down here as a punitive action, _hardly_ worth the risk and expenditure of resources. I was informed by the skipper, at that time, that there would be _no_ further shipments, until a _reliable_ means of communication _had_ been established. If we don't start receiving shell casings and primers, which we can not produce here, for ammunition, it wont be _too_ much longer and our crews that maintain the solar panels will be fending off Sky-Net attacks with baseball bats."…

…. "Well I _suppose_ that makes sense"….. Allison admitted with a shrug of her shoulders…

….. "but what about the deal with our pay"….. she further inquired….. "I _personally_ could care less, but that may not be the case with the men under my command. You said it your self, that these coins have little to no value _here_ and even if they did, there is not all that much to spend them on, outside of some of the stuff my Dad and Aunt Freyja manage to come up with. Also, as this mission is to be so _secretive_, wouldn't it be a bit _suspicious_ for me and my crew to show up here, with handfuls of Sea-Tac coins? Wouldn't that be clear evidence as to where we had been?"…..

… "That's definitely a fair question"…Perry responded….. "and I'll answer the last part of your question first."…

… "Fist of all, Sea-Tac coins are so rare down here that I doubt _seriously_ that hardly anyone would recognize them for what they are, _much less _where they came from. Secondly as they are _not_ used here as a medium of exchange, although that _will_ eventually be changing, you would not be trying to spend them, so nobody is even going to be aware that you have them."….

… "As you surmised, however, yes…. they _could _be a potential security risk. For that reason, we would ask that the coins you do not leave up at Sea-Tac in a secure location, which I highly recommend, that you turn in to this office, to be held for you. Their equivalent value will be assigned to your credit account and when the day comes that we adopt the same monetary system and it becomes standardized, any portion that has not been spent will be returned to you. The remainder will simply be put into circulation."…

….. "At Sea-Tac, however, they will be of _great_ value to you and you _will_ be spending half your time, that you're not on an actual mission, up there. You could become somewhat wealthy, in a relatively short period of time, up there and down here as well, when you consider that coins turned in to this office will be credited to your credit account."…..

….. "_Personally_, I recommend that you and your crew leave the majority of your pay up at Sea-Tac in a safe, that you will be able to purchase there, in your locked quarters. They have an _excellent_ security force and any valuables left in your quarters should be safe and secure. As we both know, there is very little to spend your pay on down here anyway, so keeping the vast majority of your coins up there would make sense."…..

He looked at Allison and noticed that she had a rather puzzled look about her. He realized that at her young age, she most likely had no knowledge of monetary systems, any more sophisticated that the basic barter system. The concept of gold and other precious metals being a standard of wealth and what that entailed, also he figured was totally foreign to her. So he tried to explain as best he could…

…_.. "_I know that due to your young age, that you know very little if anything about the pre-war world, monetary systems, wealth or the gold standard. In the days prior to J-Day, gold was the generally accepted standard, for the most part, by which all wealth was measured, be it an individual, an organization or an entire nation. Anyone who could manage to accumulate a large quantity of this metal would become wealthy, regardless of the culture that he lived in. It had been that way for countless thousands of years. From the very earliest of human civilizations. Gold had stood the test of time" ….

…. "When J-Day happened, it pretty much threw what was left of the human race back to the stone age. The barter system and the 'law of the jungle' took over, to obtain the basics needed for survival. Gold and other precious metals became worthless, as you can not eat it, wear it for clothing, or fashion weapons from it_. If _we survive and win this war, the human race _will_ start to rebuild and economic systems _will again _spring up. I, along with many others, believe that gold will_ again _take its place as the standard of wealth, as it allways has. The person who has a lot of the stuff will be at a _tremendous_ advantage. Take my advice young lady….. save it….sit on it…..someday you will be glad you did…. If we _do not _survive…well, then it won't really make much difference anyway."…..He concluded solemnly …..

…. "Ya, I've heard that before"….. Allison commented….. "about gold, that is. Cameron told me the same thing about it and said, like you did, that it would be wise to hang onto it, if you should happen to find any. I like stories about the old days…King Arthur, Vikings and stuff like that. Gold is allways mentioned in them, so ya, it seems like people valued it a lot, at one time, so maybe your right."…. she admitted with a shrug of her shoulders, then added….

… " but for _now_, I can get just about anything I need from my Dad, so it _doesn't_ really make much difference"…

….. "Yes…. I'm sure you can"… Perry commented dryly….

…. "Well I guess that's about it"….. she stated, ignoring his comment…. But there is _one_ more thing"… she added….

…. "You remember back when you said that I might be training my Dad's graduates for advanced combat techniques?"…..

…. "Yes, I remember that, but this takes priority." … he stated…

….. "Ya, I'm sure it does"….. she affirmed, mater of factly and went on to say….

…. "but that's _not _what I think we need to talk about…. "You _also_ said, that if that were to happen, I would get to be a Sergeant and the _more_ I think about it, especially if I'm going be the leader of my own squadron, that the rank of 'Corporal' is _hardly_ adequate. The title of '_Sergeant Young' _has a nice sound to it I think"… she boldly stated while giving him a pointed stare….

…. "No…no…forget it, that's just _not_ going to happen" ….. he stated while shaking his head and sliding a drawer out from his desk….

Before she could react to his statement, he produced a small box from the drawer, tossed it to her and said….

….. "but I think you should try these on"…..

….. "Lieutenant"…..

She stared at him blankly for a moment, then gazed down to the box she held in her hands. Slowly opening it, her mouth fell open, as she beheld the three silver bars within.

Less than seven months ago, she had been a mere "tunnel rat" and prior to that, a prisoner of war essentially. Nobody had trusted her and she had survived for months, totally on her own, by pure "grit." Scantly less than two months ago, she had found her childhood sweetheart again, her King Arthur. He was gone now, but he would be back. This she knew now more than ever before, as things were turning out better than she had ever expected.

She had had a brief "episode," of which she was not proud, after his disappearance, but that was behind her now and forgotten.

Just one month ago to this day, she had made it into the resistance as a Corporal, again, purely by her own fortitude. Now, she had risen to a position, to which no other women, let alone a fourteen year old girl, had ever attained. A Lieutenant under Colonel Justin Perry, in charge of a vital operation. She knew now, that she was indeed…. "unstoppable"….. Cameron had taught her well.

Sea-Tac was obviously where the action was. From the way it sounded, it was the seat of power for the human race and she was going there. It was all coming to pass, as it had been foretold.

With a pride she had never before felt, she attached the bars to her collar and one to her beret. She considered the man behind the desk for a moment and realized he was insignificant, in the grand scheme of things to come. He would perish with the rest when the time came. There was nothing she could do about it, nor did she really care, but he _had_ trusted her, been _totally _honest and she respected that.

Like he had said, "it wouldn't kill her."

She briskly arose from her seat, looked him directly in the eye and stated…..

… "You are trusting me and you never lied to me.… I won't let you down"….. And as she brought her right hand smartly to her brow, finished with…..

….. "Sir"…

The Colonel stood up and returned her salute, while thinking…

… "_Well…. Maybe there is some hope for her after all"…._ then returned to his seat saying….

… "as you were Lieutenant"….

As Allison returned to her seat, he continued on…..

….. "The only other thing we need to go over here is the dog program. You of course will not be around to help with than that, but we are, thanks to you, far ahead of schedule. Do you think that Peterson and Taylor will be able to handle the job, on there own now?" …..

…. "I think their doing the best they can"…. She replied….(and exaggerated)

…. "Yes, and _that's_ what worries me."…. He stated ….. "If they _can't_ do any better, do you have any recommendations for replacements?"….

…. "Corporal Peterson _allegedly_ has a background in this area"…. she stated…. "and I would imagine that with the proper _motivation_ he could do better"… she contended… "I have almost two more days left and I'll see what I can do, besides, aside from myself, I can't happen to think of _anyone, _that would be any better. They'd probably be even worse, _if _you want my honest opinion."….

….. "Lieutenant, what you do with your next two days is up to you, but I would _highly_ recommend that you spend them with your family. You won't be seeing a whole lot of _actual _free time, after this project gets going. I would take advantage of it, while you have it."…he advised her…

…. "Oh, ….I _intend_ to"….. She assured him…. "but I _can _pay them a quick little visit, from time to time."… she pointed out before asking…. "So?….will there be anything else"…

….. "No Lieutenant. you're dismissed"….

She rose up and headed for the door. As she opened it, he added….

….. "Oh and Lieutenant"…..

….. "Yes?"…. she inquired, while glancing back to him…..

…. "Good luck to you"….. he bode her, with a serious and sincere look….

…. "Naa"…. she lightly exclaimed, while haughtily tossing her head…..

…. "I make my _own_ luck"…. she boldly proclaimed, with a confident looking grin, paused for a second and added….

…. "Sir"… then slipped on out the door…..

* * *

As Allison strode proudly and briskly through the dimly lit corridors and earthen tunnel ways of the mid levels, she noticed a change.

Her _basic _opinion of those around her hadn't really changed. They were still, in her estimation, a collection of "brainless assmonkeys" for the most part and not worthy of her slightest consideration. The deep burning contempt, she had had for them, however, seemed to have disappeared. The silver bars on her collar and the beret, perched rakishly on her head, said it all. She had been accepted. The purple beret and the patch, she had pinned to her shoulder, let the message be known. She was a "cut above the rest" and had achieved this status on her own, without their help. She had nothing more to prove. Allison had never been particularly big on any form of "protocol," military or otherwise, but as she swaggered past astonished enlisted personnel, giving her a sheepish salute, she actually was starting to enjoy it, as she returned the gestures in a snappy brisk fashion, while calling out…

…_.. "_carry on soldier!"…..or….

….. "as you were Sergeant!"….

She could hardly wait to get home to show her Dad and Aunt Freyja as well, the next time she saw her, but it was still early and she had one more task to perform.

* * *

**Feb. 17, 2022**

**New Los Angeles, Ca.**

**K-9 Training Facility**

**0755 Hrs. **

**.**

Private Taylor had finished cleaning out the pens and cages and thought to himself….

….. "_Well I guess shit flows downhill…..literally"…_

He and Corporal Peterson had been friends, since the very inception of the resistance. They had both received their basic training from the infamous Sergeant James Mc Cook and had served together through many bloody battles. They had seen more of there fair share of action, on the front lines, against the machines and rouge human forces as well. They had developed a bond, common only to those with shared experiences on the battlefield.

When Peterson had applied for and been accepted into the new K-9 program, he had immediately requested his old "war buddy," Private Taylor, as his assistant. At the time, while not all that much of a dog person himself, Mike had welcomed the chance to be relieved of the constant perils of surface duty, but their relationship _had _become somewhat strained.

He had always wondered, how _Bob_ had managed to rise to the rank of Corporal, while _he_ remained a Private, _especially_, as he had graduated at the top of Mc Cooks training class, while Bob had barley "made the grade." In past combat situations, it was _he_ that had saved Bob's bacon more often than not, as Bob had a tendency to "freeze up" under fire. He didn't really hold it against him, as he knew that he meant well, but he _had _proven to be somewhat of a coward, at times.

What had really started to wear thin on him, however, was the way that Bob would continually "pull rank" and his superior attitude, since the start of this new program, all due to his alleged talent with dogs, that was proving to be somewhat overrated anyway. Mike had ventured forth, on one occasion, with Allison on a dog hunting trip and after watching _her_ in action, had discovered that _her_ arrogant superior attitude, while just as, if not _tenfold_ as irritating as Bob's, did at least have some basis for it. That one experience had also brought to his attention something that, deep down, he had been aware of all along.

The seemingly safe, secure and relatively comfortable position of Corporal Peterson's "lackey," was just an illusion. They weren't safe. They weren't secure. He knew that if Sky-Net really wanted to, they could storm the tunnels, or bore into them and gas them out at any time. It would all be over in less than a day or two, at best and sooner or later, they most likely would. It was just a matter of when.

The job that he now had, performing menial tasks, that Bob felt were beneath him, which any "tunnel rat" could perform as well, was doing little, to at least _try_ and forestall the inevitable.

He watched as Bob commanded the pack of dogs, through the maze of old oil drums, tires and blocks that Allison had set up and realized that he needed to tell him of the decision he had made. Bob however, upon noticing he was idle, inquired before he could speak…..

…_. "_Get them all cleaned out like I asked?"…

… "Oh ya boss…there're all spick 'n' span now"….Mike responded….

….. "Well that's good. We wouldn't want her _royal highness _to have another little tizzy,…_if_ … she comes back, to _grace us _with her presence that is,…now would we?"….. Bob sarcastically put forward…..

…. "Oh she _will_ be back Bob, _Regardless_ of how her meeting went. Unless he had her shot on sight, I can _promise you _she'll be paying us a visit. She said she would and I think you know her well enough, by now, to know if she says she's going to do something, you can bet your last credit she'll follow through on it. She may not be a Corporal anymore, or even in uniform, but she _will_ be back…_trust me_. "… Mike categorically confirmed…..

….. "Well that may or may not be true"….. Bob stated, with a shrug of his shoulders…. "but I've decided that there's _no way, _I'm taking anymore orders off _her_ royal ass. Even if she _does_ make it back in her full glory, she's _only_ a Corporal. Technically, _I am _the boss here. I _don't_ have to put up with her _shit_ and I'm going to set her ass straight, _once and for good_"….. he concluded ardently…..

….. "Just check it out Mike"….. Bob encouraged, while sweeping his arm in the direction of the four dogs, sitting around the obstacle course, obediently awaiting his next command….

…. "Well ya Bob, you are doing a _little_ better, I'll have to admite"….. Mike conceded, while thoughtfully stratching his head…

…. "but who _actually_ did most of the training here, to get them to where _you_ could handle them?…. something to think about, before you break your arm patting your self on the back….ya know?"….. he pointed out….

….. "Mike, I swear ….._you must _be falling for her, or something, the way you keep _defending_ her like that"….. Bob proclaimed while scratching his head….

….. "Oh come on Bob…get _serious!_…..Ya, I may think she's kinda cute, when she's not snarling at or insulting us that is"… He admitted, while pursing his lips and shrugging his shoulders…

…but I _don't _like her, anymore than you do…you _know that_….just calling it like I see it, that's all…. Mike clarified…..

….. "Well Ok, Mike…whatever you say, but you have to admit I'm getting a _lot _better. I've been _watching her _and I'm not as stupid as _she_ seems to think. I've been learning, besides, the pressure's off now and we _can_ do this, _without_ her snotty ass,"… he proclaimed…

…"just as long as those dumb shits don't send us anymore _wolves_"…. he added with a chuckle…. "after all, I'm a _dog trainer, _not a God damn zoo keeper"…..

"Ya, ….and a very _marginal_ one, I would say… _CORPORAL_"….. an all to familiar voice, curtly snapped, from behind them…

Mike and Bob whirled around as their jaws dropped open, upon seeing what was standing in the doorway. Standing before them was their "favorite" person…Corporal Allison Young, who had returned _as promised_, but there was something different about her and not for the better.

As she stood there in her battle fatigues, two gleaming pearl handled revolvers hanging from her hips, shoulder length wild auburn hair blazing out from under a rakish looking dark purple beret, rapidly narrowing, piercing brown eyes with her fists jammed into her sides, she appeared as some sort of weird, pissed off, female George Patton and Che Guevara hybrid.

The most astonishing thing they had immediately noticed, however, were the silver bars affixed to her shirt collar and beret.

Mike Taylor's right hand slowly made it's way to his brow, as he continued to gawk in shocked astonishment, while weakly uttering…

….. "S..Sir?…uh I…mean ….Ma'am?"…..

She gave him her customary scathing glance,… smartly returned his salute as she briskly strode past him, toward Corporal Peterson, saying….

….. "carry on soldier"…as he continued to gawk, with his hand slowly returning to his side.

She halted in front of Peterson, looked him up and down disdainfully, then inquired impatiently…

…. "Well, Corporal?"…..

A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, as he desperately tried to make sense out of what was happening…

….. "_He's done it!….he's finally done it!…the 'ol' man has finally lost his last fuckin marble!….he's up for a section eight!"….. _he thought to himself, in bewilderment.

As his head stopped spinning, from the initial shock, he came to the only logical conclusion, as his thoughts slowly started to solidify…..

….. "_No…no"…._ he thought, while slowly shaking his head …. _"No way…some poor first Lieutenant lays bleeding in a dark corner somewhere…ya that's it"…_

….. "Well, Corporal?"….. the voice repeated and added in a sing song manner, while a mock smile swept over the supposed Lieutenant's face…

…. "I'm waiting!"….

…. "_She actually thinks I'm going to salute her ass?"…_he thought to himself, as his sense and reason returned…. "_there's no way in hell I'm going to take orders from this little brat!….. There's no way! she's a real Lieutenant….. How bad can she be?…she don't even weigh a hundred twenty pounds…she doesn't realize I trained with Mc Cook … I may not be the best in combat, but I know I can take her snotty little ass…if she wants to push the matter…. It's about time someone with some balls stood up to this bitch….put her in her place….Perry will give me a medal!…. This is going to stop now….today….. I'm done taking her crap!"_…..He resolved, as he fully collected his thoughts.

An amused looking grin formed on his face, as he stood fully erect and defiantly hooked his thumbs in his belt saying…..

….. "If you seriously think I'm gonna salute and call you sir or ma'am… well…. I have a few _other_ things I can think of, to call you"… Bob stated with a chuckle, as Mike thought to himself, while watching the ensuing confrontation from across the room…

….. _"Oh shit Bob!.. no!….. This is not! .. the time to finally start getting brave….. You don't know what you're getting into!"… _then started waving his hands frantically out in front of him, shaking his head and mouthing the words,…

….. "No! no! no!"….

….. "Really now!"….. Allison exclaimed nonchalantly, while crossing her arms and giving Peterson a smirk, then continuing on with…..

…. "Go ahead…. tell me… I'm just _dying_ to hear it"….

Peterson considered her for a moment, then waved her off dismissively and with a chuckle said…..

…. "Oh fuck you!.. ya little cun…oooff!"…

Mike hide his face in his right hand, shook his head and grimaced sympathetically, as Bob's eyes suddenly bulged out, as he doubled over with the air gushing out of his lungs.

Bob felt a boot, lodge deep into a very sensitive part of his anatomy. He caught a brief glimpse of an olive drab knee, just before it impacted his nose, spreading it across his face. As the room temporally disappeared, in a blinding white flash, he felt two hands firmly take hold of his ears, while the other boot made contact with his gut, sending him, butt first, into a pile of old barrels and tires, that went rumbling and wobbling off toward different quadrants of the room, while the dogs hastily scurried to either side, making way for the incoming payload.

Without breaking her stride, she kicked aside a stray barrel with a dull ringing sound, as she vigorously advanced, with clenched fists and stone faced scowl, toward her downed adversary.

As Bob lay groveling amid the debris of the former obstacle course, clutching his groin with blood pouring forth from his redesigned nose, Allison arrived, glaring down at him and commanded…

….. "on your feet soldier!"…..

Bob struggled to regain his footing, while backing away from her, grasping his crotch and holding his free hand out in front of him defensively, as he tripped backwards over a pile of cinder blocks, depositing his butt into an old tire, while she repeated the command, with added emphasis…..

….. "I _said _…on…your…._FEET!"….. _

With much difficulty, he managed to dislodge his rear from the tire, that held it prisoner and arise to a semi erect posture. As he stood there, hunched over in agony, with little droplets of blood splattering on the floor in front of him, she stated….

….. "I _didn't_ hear 'at ease"….. and as she reached down and ripped the stripes from his shoulder, casting them to the ground, added….

….. " _Privet.._ Peterson"….

While gasping for breath and wincing in torment, he managed to raise up to a somewhat acceptable standing position, as Lieutenant Young again inquired….

….. "Well…Privet!" ….

Taking the cue, slowly and reluctantly Bob's right hand went to his brow, in a half hearted salute, as me muttered in a wheezy voice…..

…. "Ma'am"…

…. "Striking a superior officer!….Allison exclaimed then continued on….

… "but as you are _obviously_ stupider than I thought, I will forgive you _this_ time and _only_ this time, for your indiscretion, because _you are _stupid and _only _because _you are _stupid"….. She snarled, as a bewildered look came over his bloody pain racked face….

…. "_Me?….. _Striking y"…. Bob coughed out between gasps…..

…. "Yes!…you struck my _foot_ with you balls!"… She explained with a sneer, then as she spun around to face Mike and deftly pointed at him, shouted out….

…. "You!…. What did _you!.._ see here today soldier!"…

…. "Uh..well…I saw the Lieutenant defending herself from an attack…. Ma'am"….. he responded nervously…..

…. . "Yes…that's what I _thought_ you saw"… she affirmed, then turned her attention back to Bob and continued on…

…. "OK…Privet!… Lets get a few things straight _right now_, shall we?… I have other matters to attend to now and like you said, 'you are in charge here', 'you are the boss' so _you _have the responsibility. You _will!… _keep these cages spotlessly clean, …_you_ and _not _your half wit protégé"….. she explained, while jerking her thumb over her shoulder toward Mike….

…"You _will!…_ properly exercise these animals _daily!… _if you have to run them from one end of this shit hole colony to the other!…. I just had a meeting with Commander Perry and I told him that you've had the _best _teacher available, that in spite of your so _obvious _incompetence, even _you!.. _should be able to do this job _at least _acceptably and he should leave you here…. for _now_ that is"….. she clarified , then went on to explain…

….. "but, if _do not _or _can not, _you _will!… _find your self maintaining and defending the most remote and isolated collector in the entire L. A. area, from Sky-Net, with a slingshot and a stick!… as I'm sure you're _far_ to inept to be trusted with a weapon"….she added with a shrug of her shoulders, before concluding her little "pep talk"…..

….." _That_, I can promise you!… _do_ I make myself _perfectly_ clear!" … she shrieked…

Bob stood frozen and just stared back at her for a second. She again inquired, impatiently….

…. "Well privet!"…. and as she slowly moved toward him, asked in a quieter, but extremely menacing tone …

….. "do we need to repeat your lesson?"…..

…. "Oh no!… I mean yes Ma'am..er I mean"…. he dithered in a weak nasal tone.

Ignoring the dull ache from his groin and throbbing pain spreading over his face, from his smashed nose, he gave her the snappiest salute he could muster.

…. "Well I _suppose _that will do for _now_"…. Allison commented, as she paced back and forth in front of him, with her hands folded behind her back and giving him "the evil eye."…. Satisfied with his salute attempt, she returned it and continued….

….. "As much as I'd like to remain here to baby sit you two assmonkey's, for the rest of the day, I have personal matters to attend to and like I said earlier, I have _other _responsibilities now. I won't be here with you on a regular basis, but I _will!.. _be checking in on you, from time to time. You wont know when, but _I will!… _be back. _Don't!… _disappoint me"…. she snapped, then stormed out of the room.

After he was sure that the "coast was clear," Bob gingerly made his way over to bucket of water, withdrew a wet rag and continued over to a stool. He plopped down, rested his aching head back against the wall and covered his bloody face with the damp rag, in an attempt to reduce the pain and halt the swelling, while breathing out an audible sigh of relief.

While absentmindedly stirring a cup of coffee, Mike considered him for a minuet or two, then was the first to speak, after their little ordeal…..

….. "So, Bob…. she all set straight now?"….. He inquired, while suppressing a laugh…..

…. "Fuck you privet"…. he responded, in a muffled nasal voice from under the wet rag, while lazily raising his left arm, just enough to throw him "the finger."

….. "Aww Bob!…getting a little _testy_ now, are we?"….. Mike responded and added with a slight snicker….

….. "_Privet_ Peterson"…..

Bob threw the rag from his face and sat up straight. A sudden twinge of pain shot from his nose, spread across his swollen, blood caked face and reverberated deep down into his skull, as he winced momentarily. He let out an exasperated sigh, as he turned to face Mike and exclaimed…..

….. "That's bullshit! Mike and you _know it!… _she can't do that, even if she really _was_ a Lieutenant, only Perry can. You know damn good and well she just mugged some poor sap and stole his bars."…. he stated, then shook his head and added….

… "He's going to have a _cow _when he finds out and she _will_ be out of here…. Thank God"…. he concluded….

…. "Well maybe she _can't_, but she sure _did_"… Mike pointed out….

…. "Ya, well this _will_ get straightened out, I _guarantee_"….. Bob countered, then went on to say….

…. "You on her side now?… I didn't see _you_ doing much, during her little rampage"…. He concluded….

…. "No Bob, I'm _not_ 'on her side" …. He explained while shaking his head slightly… "I just think you should quit…. while you're ahead, _that's all_…honest. Just let it lay for Christ sakes. You heard her, she's not going to be around here that much anyway. You'll have the whole place to your self, so what's the big deal"…. He concluded, with a shrug of his shoulders, then took a sip of his coffee….

…. "Uh hu, that's real easy for _you_ to say. You're not the one who got his _face_ remodeled."…. Bob pointed out, while wincing and picking the dried blood from his face…

….. After a moment, a bewildered expression came over Bob's face, as he looked at Mike and inquired….

….. "I'll have the place to _myself_?…. Well what about _you_ Mike?"…..

Mike rubbed the back of his neck, while gazing down to the floor for a second. He looked back up to Bob and explained….

….. "Well ya Bob, I've been meaning to tell you this"…. He paused for second, took a breath and continued. ….

…. "Look, this is your thing, you _love_ what you're doing here, when _she's _not around that is."….. He specified with a chuckle…. "but for _me_ …well…now _don't_ take this wrong"… He explained, while raising his hands up in front of him….

…. "it's not that I don't appreciate you getting me in here, I do…I _mean_ that…but it's just that it's not my thing and you can get _any_ tunnel rat to clean up dog shit. In spite of what _she_ says, you _are _making a contribution to the cause here, but me?… I'm not really doing _anything_, … so I decided to go back to a combat unit. I didn't think I'd _ever_ want to, but as strange as it seem, I actually kinda miss it."…

….. "Oh ya?… well what one?"….Bob inquired with an astonished look on his face….

…. "I'm not sure"… Mike responded with a puzzled look, then further explained…

….."They got some new deal, volunteer only. Didn't say what it was all about, except that it would pay _really_ well and might turn this war in our favor…. Some special mission that's all I know."…

…. "Oh, _ya_… Ok, _…. I _heard about that _too_"…Bob commented…. "and the rumor_ I've heard _is that it's a fuckin suicide mission. Come on, Mike think about it for a minuet"…. he implored….

…"They can offer whatever the fuck they want, if you're all going to get killed anyway. They don't have to pay a _dead man_"….He concluded while shaking his head….

…. "I know, _I know_"…Mike affirmed …. "They told us, straight out, that it will be _extremely_ dangerous, that's why it's strictly volunteer, but I've been out there recently and things aren't going well for us Bob. Were _not_ going to last forever, unless something changes and if this could help make a change, like they say it might,…well… I'd like to be a part of that, actually do something _useful_."….. and as he walked over and slapped Bob on the back, added….

…"Come on, brighten up _OK?… _their only going to take _six_ out of the fifty volunteers, so I'm probably not going _anywhere_ actually"… he concluded with a shrug of his shoulders…..

Bob thought for a moment, let out a sigh and said…

….. "Well Mike, if that's what you really want, then the best of luck to ya, just be careful out there OK?"….

….. "Don't you worry about _that_ Bob, I'm _always _careful and like I said, only _six _out of fifty will go, so I'll most _likely_ be around here for some time to come anyway."….

…. "That's Ok Mike"… Bob replied…. "No hard feelings, we've been friends for too long for that and like I said, if it's what you _really_ _want_,… well… I hope you make it to the six"….. he stated sincerely, then added light heartedly …

….. "but even if it _is_ a suicide mission, there _is_ one thing you can be thankful for"…..

…. "Ya?... what's that?"… Mike queried with a puzzled look….

…. "At least you'll probably _never_ have to deal with that little _bitch _again." ….. Bob stated emphatically …..

…. "Well Bob, I was actually thinking the same thing… _That_ would be worth the risk, all in it's self"….. he affirmed with a chuckle….

* * *

**Feb. 17, 2022**

**New Los Angeles, Ca.**

**Tunnel"C"**

**0840 Hrs. **

**.**

As Allison approached the end of tunnel "C", she transitioned from a jog to an exuberant flat out run, with the excited expression on her face of a ten year old kid, dashing home, with a straight "A" report card. Her Dad would most likely still be asleep, she figured and normally she respected that. On his days off, she would let him "sleep in," but today was different, much different.

She simply couldn't wait, to see the proud expression of his face, upon learning of her sudden unexpected promotion, far beyond anything that either of them could have possibly imagined. She only hoped that he wouldn't try to salute her.

Bursting through the door, she cried out in an excited child like voice….

…. "Dad!, Dad!"…

Freezing in her tracks, her exuberance turned to a perplexing concern, as she noticed his cot was empty, nor had it appeared to have even been slept in. Glancing about the room she noticed nothing had changed since her earlier departure. Fenrir and Igrayne were staring up at her, beseechingly, with the same look of concern and puzzlement.

Pulling the blanket aside to her room, she peered in and called out, in a softer and slightly bewildered voice….

…. "Dad?"….

He was nowhere to be found nor had he, or anyone else, been there. She paused for a moment, removed her beret and ran her fingers through her hair, as she tried to imagine where he could be. It was nearly nine 'o' clock and even if he had gotten "snot slinging drunk," he surely should have been back by now. Something was wrong and fear started to set in, as she pondered as to his whereabouts. Even if he and Freyja had went to an early breakfast together, he should have long since been back, she reasoned.

….. _"Freyja"…. _she thought….

She might be able to shed some light on this mystery, she hoped. At least that would be a good a place as any, to start her search. A sickening thought flashed through her mind, as she wondered if the same fate that might have befallen her father, could have come upon her as well.

The one thing she truly feared, was something happening to them. A cold chill shot through her, when she considered the possibility of being a lost lonely orphan again, as a dozed possible scenarios flashed through her mind.

In a near panic, she pulled her beret back onto her head, snatched up her pack and headed for the door. Fenrir and Igrayne quickly and excitedly fell in behind her. She briefly turned to them and hastily said…..

…. "No!.. No!… you guys need to stay here and keep watch"…

….then bolted out the door and tore off toward the enlisted personnel's sleeping area.

Perry's words rang true, as she groped, in near darkness, through the enlisted personnel's quarters. It was after nine "o" clock now and the troops were all up. By this time in the morning, there should have been more light, than that which was shining from the main tunnel entrance. She flicked on her flashlight and pushed on toward Freyja's dark tunnel.

A warm, comforting sense of relief filled her, as the beam of her light disclosed Freyja's door. She noticed that it was not bolted and locked from the outside, indicating that she had safely made it home.

…. "Aunt Freyja!…Aunt Freyja!"…. She cried, out as she beat on the door…

…. "It's me Allison! … please, open up!…it's my Dad, he's missing!"….. she pleaded in a frightened voice…..

She repeated the process a few times, until she perceived a slight stirring from behind the door. Her fears partially left her, when she heard Freyja's soft voice….. At least _she_ was Ok...

….. "Hang on sweetheart, I'll be there in a minuet….Allt í lagi?"….

She waited for minuet or two and the door creaked ajar. Freyja appeared in the partially open doorway, her long golden locks cascading loosely down and around the front and backs of her shoulders. The deer pelt, casually wrapped around her, was just large enough to where she would be technically decent, as she held it up with her left hand, just over her breasts.

….. "You're not at the kennel?…What's the matter sweetheart?"….. Freyja queried, in a concerned loving way.

Allison looked at her and she somehow seemed different. She was still her Aunt Freyja, but something had changed. Her straw colored hair seemed to now be as spun gold, with a luster she had never before noticed. The vagrant silvery gray streaks also seemed to be gone, as she stood bathed in the soft candle light from her room, reflecting off her glistening bare limbs. There was a peace and contentment about her she had never before seen, but that could all wait, as there was a pressing matter at hand

….. "Come on!, hurry! you gotta to get dressed!"….. Allison frantically pleaded… "My Dad!… something's happened to him. You have to help me find him!"…..

…. "Whoa! Whoa!…calm down sweetheart… Allt í lagi?"…. Freyja exclaimed in a compassionate soothing voice, as she squatted down slightly, to brush the hair out of Allison's panic stricken face.

She noticed the bars attached the Allison's collar and beret and exclaimed…..

…. "Well now!…what's _this_!….. fjandinn!… I guess we'll have to start saluting you now!"…. she added in a proud sounding voice, with a slight chuckle….

…. "That don't matter!….we gotta find Dad!"… Allison went on, frantically..…

….. " Nei!, nei!…relax!… he's just _fine _sweetheart. He's in here with me. He's sound asleep, Allt í lagi?".. .. Freyja explained and added… " I'm sorry if we scared you, but we thought you'd be at work"…

"Well I would have been, but I have a new job now."…. Allison explained while calming down a bit….

….. "Já!.. Já!.. I can _see_ that!"…. Freyja excitedly exclaimed, while holding Allison out at arms length by her shoulders and glancing her up and down. She pulled her into an exuberant hug, as she added…..

….. "He's going to be _so_ _proud!_ of you, sweetheart"….

As Freyja relaxed her hug and smoothly pushed her back out to arms length, admiring her, something suddenly dawned on Allison, as she inquired in a somewhat bewildered tone…..

….. "My Dad,…he's been with _you_?"….. and as the look of bewilderment gradually melted away to a sly grin, she added….

….. "All _night_?"….

Freyja just smiled back with a far away, dreamy content look, then softly explained…

…. "Já… your Dad and I had a long, long talk"….

….. "Just _talk_?… all _night?_…nothing else?"….. Allison inquired teasingly, while eyeing her with an impish grin….

….. "What your Father and I do.. uh… in _privet _… is _not! _your concern, young lady"….Freyja snapped back, with a stern look on her face, punctuated by just a hint of self consciousness….

….. "Ah ha!… I _see_ now"….Allison remarked with a very knowing grin….

Freyja's stone faced scowl slowly gave way to a radiant beaming smile, as she pulled her back into a hug, rocking her in her arms, as she whispered…

….. "thanks so much …for all the things you told me….takk fyrir…thanks….things are going to be fine now….thanks to you sweetheart"…..

The feeling that Allison had experienced, when Perry had presented her with her Lieutenant's bars and beret, had been near the pinnacle of her short little life. That, however, fell far short of what she now felt. For the first time since before J-Day, she felt truly safe and secure. She had a real family again. She had a Dad… _and _a Mom.

* * *

**Mar. 13, 2026**

**Furnace Creek; **

**Death Valley, Ca.**

**0430 Hrs.**

**.**

Her countless treks up and down the Pacific coast, in bygone days, had conditioned her. Long days and short nights. As if from the signal from some deep internal clock, from the finest of Swiss watches, she opened her eyes. She gazed up to the clear starry sky and reached over to her left, feeling the comforting presence of Fenrir's furry mass laying beside her.

She reflected back to the dream that had just melted away, of Freyja, of Sergeant Mc Cook…. her family. A ghost of a smile formed on her awakening face, as she remembered back to that night, so long ago.

Her and her new Mother, had worked through the day, preparing a meal, from the finest of her Dad's stock, for the celebration of Perry's decision of legal adoption along with Allison's unprecedented promotion. Dinner was followed by a little ceremony, in the tradition of Freyja's forefathers.

Freyja and James had both laid a hand on the table, palm up, side by side. Allison drew out her knife, neatly slicing them open and bound them together, as they recited their vows to each other. Freyja had offered to take the name of "Mc Cook" as her own, but James had protested and felt she should retain the name of "Björnsdóttir," in the custom of her native land, of which she gladly agreed.

For the celebration that followed, Freyja had even recanted her position on imbibing, as she became a little "tipsy" herself. She taught James a few Icelandic folk dances and they danced wildly around the room, late into the night, after which, Allison volunteered to retire for the night, to _Freyja's_ quarters, to afford her new parents some privacy. She had never before then, or after, seen two people as much in love, as were her adoptive parents. They had reminded her of Kyle and herself. They, unlike her however, had been able to enjoy their love, at least for a couple of seasons or so.

In the weeks following, she had managed to train and get the team ready, in a mere three weeks. Half the time that was allotted her. During that time period, she had also kept working with Freyja. In just under two weeks, Allison had considered her to be near her own equal, in combat skills. Freyja's training had to be cut short, however, when she announced, much to all the doctor's surprise, that she was pregnant. In a scant fifteen weeks, she gave birth to a perfectly healthy baby girl, Allison's foster sister, Cherie Jamesdóttir

The slight smile disappeared from her face, however, as she recalled back to her final mission to Tacoma and the dark lonely period of her life that had followed. Perry had granted her a furlough from duty, for "as much time as it took," to sort things out for herself. That had been the only leave she had ever had, at least up the one that was now drawing to a close.

During her extended leave of absence, Perry had come to her quarters to check up on her, to see how she was "getting along," on an almost daily basis. He had discovered that this rude, arrogant little hellspawn was actually nothing more that a scared little girl, under her rough exterior. While Allison had never accepted him, in quite the same fashion, he had grown to look at her almost as a daughter himself and she considered _him_, to be her only actual remaining friend.

She never understood, or agreed with, his decision to relinquish command to John Connor, after the fall of New Los Angeles. While Connor, had it fact, proven to be an exceptional leader, she had always felt that Perry was the better man.

As she had given her word to Perry, so long ago, that she would never betray him and support his decisions, she had little choice but to be loyal to Connor, as that was Perry's wish, even though _she_ _personally_, would just as well have liked to see Connor's head, rotting away on a stick.

As she mentally traced outlines of the distant bluish white fires, burning away in the boundless night sky, absorbed the soft ghostly glow of the vast milky way, she could almost picture Freyja, in her fiery gold chariot with her Dad and sister at her sides. With her cloak of golden feathers trailing back in the wind, pulled by two gigantic striped cats, they blazed endlessly through the heavens. It kept her hope alive, though her common sense told her otherwise, that she would see them again, someday.

Everyone had told her that Kyle was gone, had given up hope, but she never had. She always knew and never gave up _her_ hopes. He somehow had changed, most likely Connor's doing she figured, but he _had_ in fact returned and someday they would get their "act together," with each other again. While her family's return seemed _infinitely_ less likely, she would _never_ give up her faith, that they would be back as well, eventually.

She stretched, yawned, ruffled Fenrir's fur then lazily arose. It was still quite early but they had a long hike today, to rendezvous with her team atop Towne pass, for the journey back to Connor's command camp. It was best to get started while it was still relatively cool.

Moving over to the dead fire pit, she drew out her knife, knelt down and stirred thru it, to reveal a few live coals. After a few deep breathes and a handful of twigs, the fire flickered back to life, as she thought back on the last five weeks.

It had been over a year since her, or any of her team, had any kind or break from action and Allison had demanded that they have some time off. She and _especially_ her men needed some R&R, of which Gen. Connor had readily agreed. While the rest of her squad had elected to remain in the Tech Com bunkers, she took the opportunity to return to where she considered home, to begin her privet search, and she _had _been successful. Allison had discovered the location of the "legacy" which Cameron had spoken, nearly five years prior. While she had been unable to gain access through the heavy metal doors, to find out exactly what it _was_ that lay beyond, she at least now knew the exact location and next time she'd be prepared.

Satisfied that the fire was fairly well established, she grabbed her back pack, went back up to the little fountain, knelt down and splashed the refreshing waters over her face. She then drank deeply, as Fenrir lapped noisily beside her. Giving him a gentle pat on the head, followed by a snappy motion of her head, he took the cue and returned to the fire, as she stripped off the primitive attire and changed back to her fatigues.

She pulled a headlamp from her pack, adjusted the band around her head, clicked it on and started up the path to the visitors center and her, one of many, weapons and supply caches.

Upon arrival, over a month ago, she had been equipped in full battle attire; her two pearl handled S&W .50 Cal magnum revolvers, a capacious amount of ammunition, extra magazines for her Vektor CR-21 assault rifle and a heavy cartridge belt, loaded with numerous HEAT and pyrotechnic 40 mm grenades, for her Milkor MRGL. During her stay here in the valley, however, she had not wanted to be burdened down by the extra weight. Allison had shed all but her twin pearl handled revolvers, that she never went _anywhere_ without and only what ammo they held, as the threat level here was next to nil. As she would be back in the "outside world," before the day was done, she would now, however, be needing them.

Glancing around the dark interior of the reception area, an old half dry rotted sofa came into view. She slid it aside and started to peel up the corner of an old Timbisha Shoshone woven mat, but quickly dropped it, as little wisps of dust swirled into the conical beam of her lamp, just before she hastily clicked it off…..

The unmistakable sound of a turbine engine, firing up in the far distance, had caught her ear. She froze, for it could mean but one thing.

Cameron had assured her, nearly a decade ago, that Sky Net had never been here and never would, as it wasn't worth their trouble. There was simply nothing here to attract them. All through her years in the "Brotherhood," as they fought and ultimately decimated the other clans, that had also thought to seek refuge in the valley, this had proven to be true. All the times she had returned, after the elimination of her former tribe and subsequent capture, this had been further confirmed. To her knowledge, aside from _her_ occasional ventures, there had been no activity here, of any sort, human or metal, since the day she was chained up and hauled off in a cage.

That fact, however, had obviously just changed.

_Why_ it was here, she couldn't possible imagine, but the fact remained that it _indeed _was. From the sound of it, it was not yet airborne and at least a mile or two to the east. She reasoned that she had not yet been spotted, nor was it even aware of her presence. From the ground, there was no way it could have seen her at that distance and if it_ had _spotted her, while it _was_ airborne, it most _definitely_ would have let her know.

A very slight sense of relief came over her, as she figured that all she would have to do would be to silently wait, in the building, till it had left. Her wolves knew what to do in the event of an HK encounter, fan out and blend in with the environment. They would be safe and she could figure things out later, after it had left.

Suddenly, a very disquieting thought flashed through her mind.

…. _"The fire!"….._

Her "Knights" would not really draw it's attention, just another pack of wild animals, nocturnal predators, on there never ending quest for sustenance…. but _the_ _fire_….. like a bright shining beacon, beckoning out against the inky black of the dark desert night. It was, a sure sign of human presence. Once the HK was airborne, it would be spotted and it _would.._ investigate.

The fire had to be doused …and _now_, as she could hear the idling turbines spooling up to a shrill whine, in preparation for lift off. Douse the fire, soften it's heat signature enough to where it _might_ not be detected and _hope,_ she could do it before they _were_ spotted.

….or…

…..She could retrieve her Milkor and fight.

By the time she had fiddled with the locks, hefted open the heavy trap door, climbed down the ladder to the cellar and back, it would be upon them, but she _would_ most likely be able to bring it down, with a quick three second, six round combination salvo, of HEAT and pyrotechnic grenades. She had done it many times in the past.

There might be time to exercise _one,_ of the two options, but _not_ both.

The only reason she could _possibly_ figure for the HK's presence, was that it had been on a routine high flight, from China Lake to Nellis AFB. It had experienced mechanical problems and set down, while she slept, to repair. A one in a thousand chance of it _ever _happening again. If left to simply go on it's way, it would be the end of the whole ugly incident. The peace and tranquility of Death Valley would remain, but if she _failed _to douse the fire in time and she _was _spotted, without the Milkor they'd be sitting ducks.

_If _on the other hand, she chose to fight, she knew the odds of taking out that flying abomination were excellent to certain. However, as China Lake was just over the Panamint Range, reinforcements, most likely several aerial HK's along with a transport full of T-888 ground troops would be _certain _to arrive, in _very_ short order.

She knew this desert like the back of her hand and the odds of her fleeing, far enough away, from "the scene of the crime," prior to their arrival, to where she could _continue_ to evade them and ultimately escape the valley, was better than average. The chances were good that they _could _make it to the rendezvous point, but Sky Net would _never_ forget. Routine patrols of her beloved homeland would commence. Her peaceful retreat from the war ravaged world would be forever gone.

In less than a heartbeat she knew, in her mind, what _had_ to be done, the only _real _option available to her.

Clicking the lamp on and quickly glancing around the room, she saw an old earthen vase laying in a corner. Simultaneously she sprang for it, while killing the lamp and prayed it could sill hold water. With the vase securely in her grasp she spun around and bolted for the door, then froze it her tracks, as the vase smashed to the floor.

The tense situation went from a bad dream to a full blown nightmare, when she took in the form of a large man silhouetted in the doorway, glaring down at her with a menacing red glow from under his eyes.

It made little difference now about the fire. The war had finally invaded Death Valley. There was but one option left and that was to survive.

Adrenaline flooded her system, as she instinctively went for her guns, then cursed herself for becoming so complacent. Her hands were met by nothing, save the sides or her hips and she remembered they still hung from the old cottonwood, down by the fire. Before the cyborg could react, she dove for the floor and slipped through it's legs, she needed her knights, but in the confines of the small room they wouldn't have a chance. If she could draw it out into the open, they could hold it at bay and she might still have time to retrieve the Milkor.

She sprang back to her feet, turned back to her foe, as a slight smirk colored her face and she curled her lip in a sardonic grin. In the faint glow from the distant fire she could see that he was but an obsolete, _unarmed_ T-600, child's play for her Knights. As he lumbered stupidly toward her, she thrust into her mouth, her thumb and forefinger, as a sharp, shrill whistle called out to the pack. Fenrir and his clan burst out from the dark. A snarling swarm of fur and bared fangs encircled the startled machine, like a school of blood frenzied sharks, while it swatted impotently at the swirling hoard of teeth and flaying fur.

Time was a luxury she didn't have and was fast running out. The HK's turbine went from a distant shrill whine to a deafening roar, resounding through the valley. It was lifting off and would soon be on it's way. She knew that she had sixty seconds at best. In a move fueled by a flash flood of adrenalin and desperation, her muscles turned to spring steel, as she sprang back to the door in two bounds, while clicking on her lamp. Noticing that the mat had fell clear of the trap door, she slid in on her knees, keys in hand, as the shrill whining roar of the approaching HK grew louder and louder. Lunging forward on her belly, she reached out and thrust the key into the lock as it snapped open with a quick twist of her wrist. With the speed and agility of an Olympic gymnast she pushed herself up with the palms of her hands, grabbed the handle on the trap door and flung it open with a bang, as she sprang back to her feet. She was seconds away from the weapon that could save them when a blinding white light poured in from the windows and doors, while the little adobe building shook and rattled in protest, to the howling shriek of the incoming HK…..

… "_Time's up!…not good!….get out!….now!"…._an inner voice screamed out in her head.

She knew that the structure had been targeted and would disappear, in a blue white flash, in a half second or less. The hairs stood up on the back of her neck, as she dove out the door, tucked her head tight in her arms and rolled down the path, in anticipation of the blast ripping through the night…..that never came.

Not stopping for a second, to wonder the why of it, she just thanked her lucky stars and bounced back to her feet. The HK now had it's beam trained on the T-600 and it's attackers, that were still tormenting it and ignoring the _new _threat, to keep the cyborg away from their beloved leader.

She called out to her knights with another sharp whistle, to signal that she was safe, to disengage and scatter out into the night. The call, however, just issued forth from her mouth, as a heavy webbing shot forth from the hovering HK, bringing the T-600 along with it's attackers down to the ground in a tangled heap.

Her wolves, while not being able to do them any real damage, could somehow be quite intimidating to either a T-600, T-800 or even a T-888. If it was unarmed they could hold them at bay, almost indefinitely. At close quarters, however, with no room to dodge, they could be in big trouble. If the terminator was ever able to actually get hold of one, it could tear it limb from limb.

A look of horror came over her, as she watched her companions desperately struggling, with terrified sounding snarls and howls, to free themselves from their ensnarement, only to get bound tighter with every attempt. They were in mortal danger from the T-600 that was entangled with them and for the first time in their lives they felt helpless. Allison had summoned them countless times, in the past years, to come to her aid in times of peril and now, for the first time, they were desperately calling to her.

The HK had not opened fire so far, but that didn't mean it would not. She flicked open her knife and dashed back into the light. She arrived to see Fenrir's piercing eyes staring up to her, from inside the net, with a pleading terrified look, as he desperately bit, gnawed and clawed at the imprisoning web. For the first time in over twelve years, tears came to her eyes as she hacked and slashed in vain at the webbing, only to discover it was reinforced with wire rope. With a feral hatred and snarling teeth bearing scowl, she glanced up, with a tear trailed face, at the hovering HK and made a startling discovery. It had no gun turrets, it wasn't an HK at all, but some sort of transport. It might have been carrying Sky Net ground troops ready to disembark, but at least for the moment, the threat was considerably diminished.

With that little discovery, while hardly comforting, she regained a bit of her composure. Attempting to free her Knights from the web with her knife was pointless, so she turned her attention to the T-600 that was entangled with them. He was the _real_ threat to their lives, for the moment and_ had _to be dealt with. If she could disable him she might now be able to return to the weapons cache, get the Milkor, fire a pyrotechnic round at the transport to draw it away from over the top of her friends. Then she could bring it down safely, along with whatever might be inside, to a fiery grave on the desert floor. After that, there would be enough time to figure out how to free her little brood and get the hell out of there, before reinforcements showed up.

She began repeatedly stabbing and slashing at his head, in an attempt to uncover the chip port. While the new knowledge, concerning the formerly supposed HK, had relieved her to a degree, she was far from calm, as the cyborg rolled and squirmed within the tangled net, lashing out viciously at her friends and trying to keep his head away from Allison's blade. Anger, frustration, desperation and panic set back in, as she stabbed at his head, in a totally out of control emotional frenzy snapping the blade in two, as she jabbed it into his metal skull…

….. "No!.. no! NO!"…. she shrieked at the top of her lungs, while pounding her fists desperately into his skull and wildly shaking her head in a totally hysterical fit.

She and her wolf pack, along with her elite band of commandos, had seen more action, been in more desperate fire fights, against man and machine, in the last four and a half years than most Tech Com soldiers would see in their entire life. In all that time, she had lost but two of her original six. She was noted for her cool calm demeanor under heavy fire, that had bailed them out of more desperate "scrapes" than most would think could ever exist. At fifty yards, she could coolly and calmly blast the eyes out of a fully armed T-888 with her twin .50 Cal Magnum pistols, while gracefully dancing around to avoid it's return fire. Fear seemed to be something that was totally absent from her basic make up, just like her little pack of wolves, that never strayed from her side.

Tonight was a new experience for her. She had never had a combat situation spiral out of control and deteriorate as fast as this one had, in the last five minuets. Never had she experienced panic, fear or acted out of sheer desperation. It was like everything the made Allison who she was, was suddenly coming unraveled. She never felt more helpless, alone and even a bit frightened than she did at this moment.

As she made one more final attempt to gather her thoughts and think rationally. She realized that there was only one chance, desperate as it was, to save her companions from the death grip of the T-600. She needed to get her guns, to hopefully blast the chip out of it's head, without severely injuring or killing one of the wolves and before it crushed the life out of them. That was provided, of course, that the transport that was glaring down at her with it's one bright baleful eye, didn't dispatch the reinforcements, it might be carrying, in the meantime.

She sprinted down the trail, toward the now ebbing fire and old cottonwood, as the transport kept it's blinding white beam trained on her. As she stumbled in a panic, through the brush, this land that she had thought to be hers, her personal paradise, seemed to even be turning against her. Yuccas and cacti jabbed and stabbed as mesquite, along with various thistle and thorn bushes, tried to grab hold and ensnare her.

The quick hundred yard dash seemed to revitalize and clear out her head, however, as she felt the old "battle lust" race through her blood. Her confidence returning, she made a new resolve, she would save them, regardless if reinforcements came or not, or die in the attempt. She snatched her .50 Cal Mags from their holsters, as she arrived breathlessly at the old cottonwood, spun around with her brown hair flaying and took off in a flash back to where she had just come.

She was in command again, in control of the situation…..unstoppable…and none too soon.

A newcomer had appeared on the scene, as a T-888 now stood in her path. This time there was no hesitation, no freezing up. She wondered not from whence it had came, or if more were on their way. It was just a target, an obstacle in her way that had to be cleared. The "wolf girl" had returned.

Her eyes narrowed, as a slight surly scowl came to her face. Without so much as a ghost of a thought, her left arm shot up from her side as a two foot bright blue flame erupted from the end of the barrel, sending a deep thunderous report, resounding through the night and her arm flying skyward. Scarcely before the muzzle flash from the first weapon vanished, it's twin came up from her right, sending it's projectile "hot on the heels" of the former.

The T-888's head snapped abruptly rearward, as the 440 grain slug shattered it's right optical sensor, with the kinetic energy of a speeding steam locomotive. It recovered just in time to meet the first bullet's identical twin brother, boring deep into the now empty socket, sending little silvery shards of coltan fluttering into the night and almost knocking it off it's feet.

Her left arm swung around over her head and came back up to deliver the third shot, that would bore deeper still and impact it's chip, putting it down for good.

She squeezed the trigger, just as a pair of arms, from behind, snaked under _her_ arms and locked their hands together over the back of her neck, in a perfect iron gripped full nelson, sending her "kill shot" harmlessly into the dirt. The pressure on her neck increased till she all but blacked out and dropped her weapons to the ground. The T-888 before her, now fully recovered, scooped them up, popped open the cylinders, dumped the cartridges into his hand, cast them out into the desert and tossed the now powerless weapons back to the ground, before the nearly unconscious Allison.

When she was safely disarmed, she was released and collapsed onto the ground. The T-888 stood in front of her glaring down, out of his one remaining eye. The transport loomed overhead flooding the area with it's blinding light as she gazed up blankly, with a spinning head, at the terminator she had just nearly "terminated."

As her faculties started to return, she slowly sat up, winced slightly from a sharp pain in her neck. As she turned her head to her rear, she discovered that the one who had snuck up from behind was, as she suspected, another T-888.

Noticing her pistols laying beside her, she calmly picked them up, pointed them at each terminator's face, thumbed back the hammers and gently squeezed the triggers. When they fell with a harmless metallic "click," she was again, not surprised.

With a peaceful sense of resignation she accepted her fate, laid back, crossed her arms over her chest with her weapons in hand, closed her eyes and waited for the end.

She recalled back to the strange vision she had seen in the stars, not more than thirty minuets prior. She now understood. It was her Mother and she was on her way. Now she fully understood who her Mother, her _adopted _Mother, the one that had _chosen _her to be one of her own _truly_ was. She was _Freyja_…. Freyja of the Æsir, the one who chose _only _the best of the best, the bravest of the brave and was the "Beloved of the Warriors."

A few times during this final battle she _had_ shown fear and panic, but in the end, during her last stand, she had stood _unflinchingly_, uncompromisingly against her foes, on behalf of her home and the ones she loved. She _had _stood her ground, "fought the good fight" to the last ounce of her strength. She _had _been, as Perry had said long ago, "a warrior of the first order."

Her only real regret, was that she was never able to come back to the aid of her faithful companion; Fenrir and his clan, but it made little difference now, as she was sure that they too had fallen and were at this very moment anxiously awaiting her arrival, on the far side of Bifröst

The reason was now clear why Kyle and her had never managed to really get together after his return. She had lived and died as a virgin and was destined to be one of Freyja's Valkyrjur. When his time came,_ she _could carry him on her golden winged horse, from Miðgarðr, over the rainbow, Bifröst, through Ásgarðr to the land of Fólkvangr and the consul room of Sessrumnir, to wait out Ragnarök. When the final battle had ended, when the world was cleansed and renewed, they could return here to their Camelot, to be at each others side, till the end of all time.

It was just a short matter of time now and she would again hear her Mothers voice, as she had once before…

_..."Join with me!"..._

_..."Come take My hand!"..._

_..."Ride My chariot!...Bring not your pain!... from this dark place we shall flee!"..._

_._

_..."Join with me!"..._

_..."Come take My hand!"..._

_..."Feel My embrace!...Ride My chariot and feel not your loss!"..._

_._

_..."Join with me!"..._

_..."Come take My hand!"..._

_..."Be bold!...Be valiant!...Be brave!"..._

_._

_..."Join with me!"..._

_..."Come take My hand!"... _

_..."Ride My chariot!...Taste the adventure!"..._

_._

_..."Join with me!"..._

_..."Come take My hand!"..._

_..."Ride My chariot!...Taste of the thrill!...Taste the desire!"..._

_._

_..."Join with me!"..._

_..."Just take My hand!..._

_..."Your Father awaits"..._

_,_

_..."Join with us!"..._

_..."Ride My chariot!...Sessrumnir calls!... there soon we shall be!"..._

So there she lay, clutching her weapons in her hands, with a peaceful content smile, calmly awaiting her end. She only hoped it would be quick and knowing how efficient the terminators were at their "art," it most likely would be.

So she waited…..

and waited….

and waited….

Finally she opened her eyes and looked up at the two metal men. They had not moved and appeared to be just standing there studying her…..

…_.. "What the hell's wrong with these two clowns?"….._she thought to herself…

….. _"Why don't they just get on with it?….get this over with?"….._

As she was already expecting and prepared for the worst, she had little to fear and something to gain actually, as she reflected back to her last thoughts. She slowly stood up and stared back at the one eyed one curiously and thought…..with her usual cockiness returning…..

… "_What's the deal with these two metal half-wits, they blow a fuse?…. Strip a gear?….. What in hell they doing here?… What do they want?"….._

… "Allison Young?"…. The one eyed one inquired blankly…..

…. _"He wants to know if I'm me?"….._ she thought to herself, in a rather amused fashion….

…. _"Hell,…. all of Sky Net knows who I am, or they should, for as many of these metal bastards I've wasted…. I've been on their hit list for years…everybody knows that….. Next to good 'ol' J.C. I'm their public enemy number one,"….… _

… "No, …I'm Mrs. John, kiss my ass, Connor"…. she replied sarcastically, out of the corner of her month, while folding her arms over her chest….

The T-888 studied her for a moment, while considering her reply, then stated….

….. "My files show that you are Lieutenant Allison Jamesdóttir Young, Commander of the First Special Operations and Reconnaissance Group, also know as 'Young's Wolves'. You have been at this location for the past thirty three days on 'R&R'… or what you humans refer to as 'getting away from it all.' You are also known to have a strong dislike for General John Connor and it would be highly unlikely that you would enter in to a sexual partnership with him"….. he concluded authoritivly….

… "_Well now, this guy's about as sharp as a broken knife now…isn't he?"….._she mused to herself sarcastically, as she thought about the last part of his statement….

Suddenly a revelation came over her….

… "_OK, now I see!… there came here looking for me!….it all makes sense now!…. use an old obsolete model as a decoy, to trap and disable the wolves, then come after me when I'm all alone. They knew I'd be here! They knew my defenses would be down. It was a set up!…..somebody talked!…not that it matters anymore I guess."….._

She knew that it really _didn't_ matter, as they had succeeded in their mission and as soon as this metal moron made an end to flaunting his knowledge, of her _personal_ life, would more than likely, quite _literally_, "execute" his prime objective. It was highly doubtful that he would revel, if he even _knew_, who the rat was, but her curiosity had to be at least _partially_ satisfied, before she left this world…..

…_.. "_Sky Net _knew_ I'd be here,…._alone_… away from my team, didn't they?… _That's_ why you're here… right?"….She inquired, while squinting an eye and giving her soon to be executioner a suspicious look….

…. "That's why we're here… right"….. He affirmed blankly, in a monotone….

…_.. "Ya.. that's what I thought, we have a rat somewhere. I've been betrayed. Oh well… I'm on my way to the next world and I'll find out who….they'll get there's eventually"…_she mused to herself, sighed and piped up with….

…. "Ok genius, you got a positive ID. So lets just get on with it ok?..do what you were sent here to do"….

She sighed, griped her pistols tight, closed her eyes and waited for what was to come. Instead of feeling her neck snap like dry twig, however, she heard a rather curious request, when he commanded…

….. "Your clothes…. Take them all off"….

She opened her eyes and gave him an astonished shocked look, while uttering almost silently….

…. "What?"….

…. "Your clothes, take them off….._now_!"….. He again commanded in his monotone, but with added emphasis….

There was no way her clothes would fit him or his partner…or any terminator she had ever seen or heard of, for that matter. Was Sky Net getting hard up for clothes, for their prisoners?…If that _were_ the case and they realy _needed_ her clothes, why not just execute her and take them off her dead body? She couldn't possible _imagine_ the reason for his odd request, as she stood there mouth agape with a shocked look. If he were a _human _male, that had captured her, she could understand, as much as the thought disgusted her, but a _cyborg_?…a _machine_?

A sickening pit formed in her stomach as she went totally numb, the grip on her weapons relaxed as they slipped from her grasp and fell to the ground. As unbelievable as it was, she suddenly realized, it was the _only_ explanation.

She started backing away from her intended cyborg rapist, while slowly shaking her head in denial….

….. "No… no…. you people …you…_things_… you … you don't _do_ this"…. she mumbled mostly to herself, in an attempt to convince herself that it wasn't happening…

She was startled as she backed into the T-888 behind her, froze for a second, then bolted off to her right in a desperate escape attempt. The one behind her, however, latched on to her wrist, before she could make it two yards and spun her back around, as she let out a scream that echoed from one end of the valley to the other.

The one eyed one came up from behind, yanked and twisted her arms behind her back while lifting her up off the ground, while his partner started unlacing and deftly pulling her boots from thrashing kicking feet.

Shrieking, squirming and thrashing, with her wildly flaying hair hiding her terror stricken tear filled eyes, she even bit and spit, for all the good it could do, as she screamed desperately out to the heavens;…to Freyja, to Óðinn, to Skaði, Thor and Njorður…even Hél, to any god or goddess, she even remotely knew of, to come to her aid, as the two eyed Terminator undid her belt, yanked her pants and underwear down, then smartly slid them off from her wildly lashing legs.

After she been striped from the waist down, the one eyed one slammed her to the ground knocking the wind out of her, pulled her jacket off from behind, jerked her T-shirt up over her head and unlatched her brassiere, casting it aside. The two eyed one then roughly pulled her to her feet, as they both stood staring at her for a moment or two, as if she were some newly discovered type of bug, being examined for the first time.

While the temperature was still in the nineties, Allison, her strength almost totally sapped by the vain struggle against her assailants, stood there totally nude, shaking and trembling like she were in an arctic wind, as she stood slightly hunched over with her arms hugging her breasts, in an attempt to hide her nakedness.

As they stood intently staring at her, for what seemed like an eternity, Allison was starting to hope that they had had enough fun for the night and would finally decide to just "put her out of her misery." Her hopes were short lived, however, as the one eyed one produced what looked like a hospital bed mat from his back pack, spread it out on the ground, shoved her toward it and commanded….

….. "Lay down"….

Not willing to wait for her compliance, the two eyed one pushed her down on her butt by her shoulders. As she again tried, in vain, to squirm free from his grip, he shoved her upper body down on her back. He pulled her arms up over her head while knelling down on them and leaned forward placing his hands on her rib cage, pinning her torso firmly down onto the mat.

Her strength nearly gone, her spirit nearly broken, she summoned up her last ounce of strength and will. While she knew it would be of no avail, she kicked the one eyed one solidly in the face, as he knelt down at her south end. She felt him deftly force her legs apart while advising…

… "Please remain calm, struggling will only increase the bleeding"…..

Her strength now totally gone, her spirit broken, she just closed her eyes and sobbed. She just hoped he'd make it quick, then snap her neck and release her to Freyja's, or even Hél's embrace.

She felt a cold cool liquid being swabbed, onto the upper inside portion of her thigh. She cried out in pain, as he sliced a small portion of tissue from the fleshy portion of her leg, and deposited it into a little silvery container. His partner relaxed his grip on her torso, snipped off a lock of her hair, then handed it over to the one eyed one, who sealed it up in a little plastic bag.

The one eyed one then produced a small medical kit. He opened it and withdrew a jar of salve, bandages and medical tape. He applied the salve, bandaged her wound and taped it up tight, returned the items to the container then closed it up and set it beside her. They both released her, stood up and the one eyed one instructed her in his mono tone voice….

….. "Apply the salve and change the dressing twice a day, for the next four days, it should fully regenerate and heal, without any scaring, within that time."….he further informed her…

….. "The T-600 unit has been deactivated and your animals have not been harmed. They will be released. Your weapons we will leave here in your camp, but you will have to hunt for the ammunition."…..And he concluded by saying….

….. "We will not be back,….thank you for your time…. have a nice day"….

She propped herself up slightly, on the mat they had left, and watched as the two T-888's made their way back up to the little fountain, where her wolves were ensnared, with the whining transport hovering over them, lighting the way. Another light shot forth from the belly of the ship, as a bay opened up and dropped four tethers, three of which they attached to the webbing and one to the dead T-600. After that they stood in the middle, as the transport hoisted them all up into the open bay, which closed after them. The search light went out, as it turned and sped off into the night, with a screeching, howling roar.

Fenrir and his clan came bounding down the through the brush and she felt a great sense of relief, but something was missing. The joy and comfort she felt by their presence was gone, she felt empty and alone. Laying back down, she gazed over to Mt. Young, grumbling in the far distance. It seemed unusually active, as it shot gold fiery plumes high into the air, as if enraged by what had just occurred.

She had not actually been violated and for that she was thankful, she was still technically pure, but her peaceful secure valley that was part of her soul, had indeed been raped. It was the same as if it had happened to her. Glancing up to the stars, that use to bring her so much peace, she felt nothing. She tried to picture Freyja in the stars, but it was as if she had abandoned her, like some impure thing that was no longer worth her favor. Laying on her side she looked out over the desert floor, through the Yuccas, Mesquite and Joshua Trees just starting to appear in the dim morning light. She knew that once she left this place she would never return. She was looking at them for the last time. Her little paradise, her Camelot was lost and gone forever.

There were so many questions in her mind. Why did they not kill her? What was the reason for what they did do to her? Somebody had betrayed her to Sky Net, but who? The thought of being betrayed should have enraged her, sent her fiery spirit into a frenzy to find out who and deal out justice, but it was if she no longer cared, as if there was no spirit to enrage. She wanted to cry, but there were no tears to spill.

Curling up on her side in a little ball, she closed her eyes. Fenrir and his clan were all about her and she was always self conscious of even changing her clothes in front of them, and she still was. As she laid there curled up naked in front of them now, however, she didn't even have the will to gather up her clothes, to hide her nakedness. She had been scared deep inside many times in her life and recovered and she would do so again, but things would never be the same.

Fenrir came over and stared at her, cocking his head from side to side a few times. He knew his leader and best friend like he knew the desert floor, something was wrong. He cautiously went over and sniffed, he could tell she was healthy but something was missing. He also knew that it was getting late and they had to get moving, so he gently, this time, nudged her with his snout. Normally when she wouldn't respond, it would call for a heavy paw to the side of her head, to get her attention, but this time it was different.

He stared into her half open eyes. The energy, the spirit that was so much like his own, was still there, but was ebbing so low he could scarcely detect it. He could see her thoughts better that the thoughts of his mate Igrayne, but now he saw nothing. Something was very, very wrong and he knew not what to do.

He felt helpless and scared again; just like earlier that horrible night, when he felt that strange terrible new feeling for the first time in his life, when that awful thing had him bound and imprisoned and he couldn't break free, when he heard her screams in the distance and couldn't come to her aid.

He wandered around gathering her clothes in his jaws, came back over and dropped them on top of her and spread them around to cover her, as best he could with his snout. Stretching his front legs out in front of him with a groan, he lay down, curled up and pressed up against her. He would stay by her side, for it's all he could figure to do.


	10. Ch9 The Day the Sky Fell

**A/N. **

**1. **I realize that I promised that this chapter would deal with the development of Allison's attitude toward John Connor and how she ended up falling in with a Death Valley warlord. It still does to a degree (attitude toward Connor), but not totally, nor does it start into her Death Valley days. The reason being is that this chapter is getting quite longish and I decided to break it up into two chapters and present the first part now, as it has been a while since the last update. The second part, which was intended to be included in this chapter as well, is about half completed. Hopefully it wont be as long to get it out.

**2. Blooper: … Derek's age**

In this chapter, Derek Reese is portrayed as a high school senior (17-18 years old) and it has come to my attention that, after reviewing some TSCC episodes, that he was actually 15 years old at the time of J-Day. To correct this oversight would require making changes in many previous chapters as well, so I decided to leave it as is. After reviewing both S1 and S2 of TSCC, I have concluded that this 2 year difference in age will not cause any problems, as his age is rarely mentioned. Kyle and Allison's ages are correct however.

**3. Thermonuclear Detonation**

There may be some confusion when reading about my account of the initial thermonuclear attack during J-Day. To clear this up, I have decided to include this to explain, as simply as I can, on how a thermonuclear device works and the initial effects after the detonation. I grew up during the 50s and 60s (era of fallout shelters and total nuclear paranoia) and I have noticed that most writers have omitted an effect of such a blast, i.e. Winds blowing in TOWARD ground zero.

First a summery on how a thermonuclear device ( H-bomb) works, for those who may not actually know.

An H-bomb uses a small atomic bomb (nuclear fission reaction) to generate heat and pressure to create a nuclear fusion reaction by "fusing" the molecules of lithium deuteride gas together to form tritium (a hydrogen isotope). This fusion reaction is what creates the fireball associated with a hydrogen bomb, with temperatures approaching that of the sun's surface. It is basically the same reaction that powers the stars.

This is approximately what would happen at the time of a thermonuclear attack. First there would be a blinding flash of light from the initial fission reaction. The heat and pressure starts the fusion reaction and about a second later, the super heated fireball expands consuming everything, including atmospheric gasses, in it's place and very quickly rises due to the extreme temperatures, leaving a vacuum in its wake, immediately pulling everything inward. A few seconds later, the main pressure wave/blast wave, of much higher intensity would hit along with the heat. The last thing you would experience would be the sound of the blast.

I'll admit that I have taken "literary license" in my description of John, Derek, Kyle and Allison's experience at the time of the attack, concerning the timing of the blast effects and even that they survived, for dramatic effect. That's quite common in Hollywood, like the very common occurrence in movies and TV where someone dives through a plate glass window and gets up running, with a few little cuts. In the real world, I'll _guarantee_ you that _that_ wouldn't happen.

**4. Dirty Bombs**….. There is a misconception, by some, that a "dirty bomb" is an actual nuclear device and while they use nuclear/radioactive material in their construction, they are simply a conventional high explosive device. They are relatively simple to produce and a person with an eight grade education could make one, provided he had access to the materials and a means to handle radioactive material, without poisoning himself.

It's basically a bomb consisting of plastic explosives, dynamite or perhaps even good old fashioned black powder. Radioactive materials, typically waste from nuclear power plants, are incorporated within it to act as "radioactive shrapnel," to spread contamination over a given area.

**5. ATB… **All terrain bicycle

**6. CBRN …. …..**Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear

.

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Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to TSCC or are they my creation. This work is strictly amateur (obviously) and I receive no compensation of any kind. The character of "Freyja Björnsdóttir", however is of my creation totally.

* * *

**.**

**The Story of a Life**

**Chapter 9: The Day the Sky Fell**

**.**

**.**

**March 1, 2014**

**Los Angeles, Ca.**

**1630 Hrs.**

**.**

She sat huddled up and shivering against a cold slimy wall, somewhere in the old storm drain system. With her head resting on her knees, buried in her arms, she sobbed as an occasional rat would scurry by and curiously inspect her, before resuming its never ending quest for sustenance. Scared, lost, hungry and cold, her little six year old mind was trying desperately to make sense out of all that had happened, in the last three years and mostly the incident last night.

Why had he lied to her? Why had he chased her away? Why did he want to kill her?

That nice older boy, the one who always protected her, her best friend that was like her personal King Arthur, would she ever see him again? Had that awful man killed him too, maybe just because he was her friend?… her only friend?

Had he been lying to everyone in their group? If he had lied to her, it seemed to make sense that he would have had lied to the rest as well. She had told him that she wanted to go back home, to Palmdale and find her Mom. He had told her that she couldn't, that she had to stay inside, because there were monsters outside and everything was poison. Had he been lying about that too?

She remembered it like it was yesterday, when she had first met John. It had started out as the happiest day of her life, but quickly turned into the most terrifying, when everything went crazy.

It had been about three months shy of her fourth birthday, when her Dad let her go with him to his office. She always loved going there, as everyone made such a fuss over her when she showed them how well she could draw. She was always the center of attention. As exciting as the prospect of being able to accompany her Father to his workplace was, it paled by comparison of what he had in store for her that day. He had taken off early and on the way home made a special stop in downtown L.A.

On her previous birthday, they had taken her to the zoo at Griffith Park followed by a picnic lunch, when she saw an older boy on a mountain bike. "That's what I want!" she exclaimed excitedly, as he rode past. Her father explained to her that she was not yet big enough and that her feet would not even reach the pedals. If she were good, however, and promised to mind her Mother and eat all her vegetables, without a lot of fuss, that by her next birthday she might be and he _would_ consider it.

Aulay Young had been a brilliant if not somewhat avant-garde architect and commercial artist, of Norwegian/Scottish descent. He always managed to keep himself employed, in well paying positions, but his rebellious and artistic nature generally kept him hopping from job to job. He refused to work on the ordinary mundane projects, that a lot of his employers would put before him.

His daughter Allison, much to his wife Clair's chagrin, seemed to be following precisely in her father's footsteps, in regards to rebelliousness and flaunting of authority, even at her very young age. During the year following her third birthday, however, she had made an almost miraculous personality change. All she could think of was that shiny new bicycle, that her Dad had all but promised her. She would obediently "clean her plate" at mealtimes and even ask for seconds of Asparagus and Brussels sprouts. One wall in her room had become totally marred up, by little pencil marks, as she would check her growth on an almost daily basis.

As they left her Dad's office, at the California Plaza and headed up Broadway toward the 101, she was about to ask him if they could continue on to Chinatown, for a Chinese lunch. Just before they made it to the freeway, however, he made a right turn onto Temple St. "Where are we going daddy?… this isn't the way home," she asked. He just looked over to her and said, "I have a little surprise for you." A perplexed look came over her, but before she could inquire further, he crossed Spring St, pulling up in front of a little bicycle shop.

Allison couldn't read the sign that said "Sid's Cycle Shoppe," but as the sight of all the bicycles parked out front, under strings of multi colored little flags, fluttering in the breeze, came in to view, her eyes popped wide open and she let out an excited squeal.

Before her Dad had even shut the engine off, she was frantically struggling with the door handle, popped it open and scampered over to a twenty six inch silver "Santa Cruz" ATB, just like the one she had seen the boy riding, on her last birthday.

"This is it!… just like the one I saw!"…. she exclaimed happily while hopping up and down and skipping around in little circles.

Aulay caught up to her, shaking his head slightly with a grin and said while chuckling…

…. "Yes I'm sure it is, but I think this one's still a _little_ too big for you now"….

A look of disappointment came over Allison momentarily, but before she could speak he went on to say….

… "But I'm sure if we go inside we can find one that's right for you"…..

The excited smile returned to her, as she grabbed his hand to lead him in toward the shop. A grimace came to his face as he glanced at the price tag, followed by a sigh of relief, as he let her guide him away from the "Santa Cruz," in search of a more _appropriate _model.

Upon entering the store, Sid was relaxing on an old lawn chair, watching a sporting event on TV, while sipping from a bottle of water.

…. "So how can I help you today?"… He inquired, without looking up from the soccer game…. "Something for you or the young lady?"…

As Allison excitedly dashed through the rows of bicycles he added, while giving her Dad a quick grin…..

…. "Well I guess that answers _that_ question"…

He directed her to the rear of the shop and said….

…. "The little kids models are in the back. We have all kinds. I'm sure you'll find one you like"…. and added reassuringly, while glancing back up to her Dad and adding…. "In all price ranges"….

"Her first one?"…. Sid asked, with his eyes glued to the TV set..

"Ya, she's been begging me since her last birthday and I think she's big enough now"…. Aulay replied, while watching his daughter clamber happily around on to different models, to find "just the right one."

"Well then this must be a big day for your little girl"…. Sid commented with a slight grin… "Just let me know when you two find one that's agreeable with her taste and your pocketbook…. Ah!.. I remember my first one"… Sid commented with a wistful look….

….."I was about her age when my Dad…. Oh Shit!"…he exclaimed while bounding up from his chair, as the opposing team was closing in on the goal net. His team's goalkeeper made a desperate dive toward the incoming ball, just as the game was cut off by a special news broadcast.

….. "Aww! Now what the fuck!"…. He cried out in a very annoyed tone…

An announcer came on, giving an update on the "Caspian Sea Crisis."

The fighting in Turkmenistan had just escalated and spilled over into neighboring Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The Russian Federation had issued a stiff warning, against further aggression, had demanded an immediate US withdrawal from bordering Kazakhstan and was prepared to enter into the conflict with "Tactical Nukes," if their demands were not met.

The Peoples Republic of China, that had already issued economic sanctions against the US, had also made a military stand, in regards to possible Russian and US involvement in neighboring Kazakhstan. They had amassed over half a million troops, just over the border in Xinjiang province, ready to enter the fray against both, should the US and Russia become involved.

The US had activated its new, controversial "Sky Net" missile defense system two days earlier, in anticipation of the latest developments. They had also deployed the new T-1 automated combat units, along with the _extremely _controversial T-70 "Robotic Infantrymen," in response to the Chinese and Russian "Saber Rattling." All US reserve and National Guard units had also been activated.

Allison went on oblivious to the developing world situation, gleefully ringing little bells and honking little horns, in an attempt to decide from the myriad of bicycles, which one she wanted. Her Father and the proprietor of the shop, however, were totally oblivious to _her_ delight, as they listened to the news man on the "tube."

….. "Whew! Looks they got us into a_ fine _mess this time"…. Aulay commented… "Those morons on Capitol Hill won't be happy till the whole _world_ hates us and I don't care if we _are_ the only actual _"Superpower" _left, we can't go up against everybody. I think they might be biting off a little more than they can chew this time."

….. "Can't say that I disagree with you on the wisdom of making enemies all over the place"…. Sid replied, while glaring disdainfully at the TV set, waiting for the game to come back on…..

…"But as far as what they can handle nowadays…well I don't know,…. it's scary"… he added while shaking his head slightly.

…. "Have you heard about those T-1's and T-70's?….. the Sky-Net system there talking about?"….. Sid further inquired with a concerned look….

…. "Na.. not much, just what I've heard on the news and read in the paper. A multi trillion dollar money sink, that my daughters great grandchildren will be lucky to see paid off"…. Aulay replied contemptuously, then inquired offhandedly….

….. "Buy the way, aren't those T-1's, some sort of remote controlled tank or something?"…..

….. "Not even close"…Sid replied with a slight chuckle…. "The T-1 combat unit runs on tank _treads,_ but that's the _only _resemblance to a tank there is. It's small, quick and deadly with dual mini guns, or whatever they want to equip it with. It's virtually unstoppable, with anything short of several fuckin Bazookas. It's _not_ remote controlled and this is the _scariest _part."….

…"Once you activate them, supposedly, you don't have to guide them. They just go about killing and destroying shit on their own. They seek out and destroy enemies without any sort of human intervention. The 'T' stands for 'Terminator' and that they do very well. They terminate shit, with _extreme prejudice _I might add. They're fuckin killing machines. The T-70's, however, were actually first developed years ago, by the old Cyberdyne Corp."…

….. "Cyberdyne… didn't they go belly up, after some crazy woman blew it all to hell?"…. Aulay inquired….

…. "Ya that's the one"… Sid affirmed and continued on…. "After Sarah Connor, I believe her name was, escaped from the 'booby hatch' and blew the place to kingdom come, they were forced to sell all their remaining assets and patents to pay off their debts, one of which was the T-70 'Robotic Infantryman.' Cyberdyne produced the first prototypes, but another company bought the rights to it and got a huge military contract, to improve and start producing them.

It's basically an eight foot tall mechanical soldier, with the strength of a tank. They're impervious to gas, radiation, napalm or whatever. With small arms fire, even though it's _possible_ to stop one, unless you can hit it in the exact right spot and are very lucky, it takes several men concentrating their fire on it for an extended time, while it's 'mechanical buddies' are out flanking you….. and if you think that's something"…. he went on to say….

…"like the T-1's, they _also_ operate without human guidance, but _unlike _them, they claim that they have an _actual_ rudimentary thought process. They can actually learn from mistakes, to a limited degree and make elementary field decisions in combat. Some critics of the program fear that once activated, for an extended period of time, that they may actually develop a basic survival instinct and not allow you to turn them off.

If _we _have this kind of shit, you know damn well that it's just a matter of time before others do too, if they don't already. If there's another _real_ war….well I can _guarantee _you that it will be like nothing you've ever seen and simple 'nukes' will be the least of our problems."…. Sid concluded, with a grave look.

…. "Well, I don't mean to doubt you, but it sounds to me like you've been reading a lot of sci-fi books. I don't really think that these new '_wonder weapons' _are really all they say they are. I did some time in the military and we had so called '_Smart Bombs_.' They really weren't all that _smart_, more like low grade morons."… Aulay commented with a chuckle…

…. "Ya, ya… I know what you're thinking"…. Sid interjected while waving his hands out in front of him….. "but I had a good friend that worked at Cyberdyne, back before Connor blew it all to hell. He told me that they were working on stuff that was beyond _imagination_…. way back then. My brother was and _still is _stationed at Edwards AFB. He told me about these things, that they were testing out there. There not even in the same league, or _universe _for that matter, as the so called 'Smart Bombs' _you're_ talking about."

"Also, I was going out with this feisty little Mexican gal a while back. Whew!"…he paused, took a deep breath then continued….. "_great_ piece of ass, but smart as a whip."

….. "She was working up at Cal-Tech with some special research team. Didn't say much about it, but that it was something that she claimed if she _did_ tell me, I would think she was totally out of her tree. You said it sounds like sci-fi, well you're right, only it's not sci-fi, it's sci-_fact_ now. Zella wouldn't say exactly what it was they were working on, but that it was like something right out of a Ray Bradbury book and these robotic combat units they have _now,_ could just be the 'tip of the iceberg,' in regards to what they might soon be capable of."…..

… " At first I figured she was just 'pulling my chain.' After we broke up, however, we remained friends and she fixed me up one time with this friend of hers, her lab partner. Some super foxy looking Scandinavian chick. She invited me back to her apartment, but unfortunately got 'cold feet' and nothing happened. We did have a very interesting conversation though"…..

…. "Oh ya, what exactly did _she _tell ya"…..Aulay inquired, skeptically ….

…."Actually nothing"…. Sid replied with a shrug of his shoulders, then continued on… "but it's the way she said it, or _didn't_ say it I suppose you could say. When it was becoming obvious that I wasn't going to get laid, I decided to just talk with her, as she was a _very_ interesting and intriguing person. We talked about everything from rock climbing to Einstein's theories."…..

…. "While I personally never even went to college, that high tech scientific stuff has always intrigued me. I decided to see if I could find out from her, what exactly was going on up at Cal-Tech. When I tried to steer the conversation around to what her and Zella were involved in, however, she immediately froze up. Just the _mention,_ that I even knew that they were working on some major deal up there, seemed to produce a look of terror in her eyes. It was like she was scared shitless that I even knew about it, much less wanted to talk about it. At that point, she very pointedly dismissed me from her place and added emphatically that I should _never_ try to see her again."….

…. "By her reaction, it was obvious to me that Zella wasn't bullshiting. Whatever it was, or is, that they got going on, it's _way_ out there and very secretive. I never did try to get back in touch with Freyja and the funny thing is, I haven't heard from Zella for some time now either. I sometimes wonder, if maybe she was talking a little too _much_ for somebody's liking and they decided to _silence_ her….. If you know what I mean"….He concluded while giving Aulay a very pointed look.

…. "Well I _suppose_ you could be right"…. Aulay conceded, while thoughtfully scratching his head… "but even if what you say _is_ true, I doubt very seriously that _any_ world leader, regardless of where he comes from, would be insane enough to unleash such things on the world. Sure, there's nut job terrorist groups around that would have no qualms about it, but this is super high tech stuff were talking about here. They don't have the facilities or materials to produce them. Even a suitcase nuclear device, that people are so terrified of, would be beyond their capability. Granted, a college student has access to the knowledge, but getting the materials and access to the facilities to _produce_ one is next to impossible. A small 'dirty bomb' I suppose could be possible, but an actual nuclear device, _let alone _the high tech stuff _you're_ talking about, is _not_ going to be produced by a bunch of rag-head fanatics, in some desert training camp. We've been hearing about this nuclear terrorism paranoia now for over a decade. Even if they managed to purchase these things on some nuclear black market then why the hell haven't they used them?"…. He concluded with a chuckle….

….."Well I guess you didn't listen to the newsman there"…. Sid corrected him while pointing to the TV…. "It isn't a question of '_would_ they.' The point is that they already _have _unleashed these things. That goddamn megalomaniac Mitchell, that they got _running_ the show over there, _wants_ a war. He's been _begging _for the chance, to show off to the world his new toys and now he's got it, while he sits his fat ass safely behind a desk here in the states, I might add."… he conclude, while shaking his head in disgust.

…. "Ya, the situation's a real mess. Can't argue with that"….. Aulay agreed… then continued….

….. "But there's not much that people like us can do about it, so why worry?…. Just get on with life…survive and make the best of things is all we can do"….. he concluded

….. "That's what I say"…Sid agreed, as he switched off the TV, on which two newscasters were now discussing the currant US foreign policy and involvement in the Central Asian conflicts.

Their attention was diverted from their discussion of currant events, by the sound of little feet and bicycle tires, coming their way from the rear of the store. Allison had found the one she wanted and was walking it, with a proud beaming smile on her little face, up to the counter. It was a virtual scaled down clone of the one she had first seen, upon their arrival, outside of the shop.

…. "Well I see your little girl has good taste for bicycles"…. Sid commented with a smile… "That's one of our best models. She'll out grow it, long before the warranty runs out and when she does, I can accept it as a trade-in toward the full size version for her."….

Aulay let out a slight gasp, as he examined the price tag dangling from the handlebar. He knelt down to his daughter and asked somewhat timidly…..

….. "Uh.. are you _sure_ this is the one you want?"….

…. "Oh yes Daddy!, it's just like the one I saw in the park!"… She stated emphatically, in her excited "little girl voice."…..

….. "Only a little smaller. It's just my size"…. she went on to explain, with a more serious look on her face

…. "Well Ok,… if you're sure now"…. Her Father conceded, still a bit meekly…

Sid tapped him on the shoulder and motioned him over, with a slight nod of his head, then said quietly…..

…. "Hey look, I know that's one of the most expensive brands. I have others back there that are less than half the price and look almost identical. The only real difference is the name and they don't have the same warranty. I have to take it back in my shop and partially disassemble it anyway, so it will fit in your car. If it's too much for you at this time, I understand. I could swap it out with a lesser brand and I doubt she would know the difference."…..

Aulay thought for a moment, then slowly started shaking his head, as he explained in a serious tone…..

…. "Na, I can't do that, I've never deceived her and always stressed the importance of keeping your word to someone. She made a promise to me last year and kept it faithfully, so I need to do the same. It's the one she picked out, so it's the one she gets."…. he let out a sigh and added….. "and besides, take it from me.. she _would _know the difference."

He looked down at Allison, who was staring back up to him with an excited expectant smile, awaiting his decision. He straightened up and simply said…

…. "We'll take it, do you accept Visa or Discover?"….

Allison buried her head in his stomach, as she attempted to wrap her short little arms around his waist, while exclaiming….

…. "Oh Daddy I love you so much!…you're the best Dad in the whole wide _world!"…_

Sid commented, as he watched the tender hearted Father daughter embrace…..

…. "You're a good man sir and an exemplary parent, others would do well to follow your example"…..

After Sid had removed the front wheel and loaded Allison's new bike into the back seat of their car, the returned and stated…

….. "In case you don't know, the state of California requires that all bicyclists under the age of eighteen must wear a helmet. You made quite a purchase today, so I'll go ahead and throw one in with the deal. They're in the next room, if she'd like to go pick one out."….

She gaily dashed off, through the rows of bicycles and disappeared into the adjoining room. While Allison was busy, excitedly trying of various brightly colored helmets, in the next room, her Dad and Sid closed the deal and began filling out the required paperwork for the warranty.

…. "Hey I'm sorry they're so expensive anymore, that's quite a chunk out of your pocketbook for a kids bicycle."….. Sid commented, sympathetically….

… "Aw, that's alright"…. Aulay responded, with a shrug of his shoulders… "It's not that I can't afford it, it's just that I was a little shocked at first. The last time I priced them was when I was a little kid myself, but the way prices are going crazy anymore, I suppose I shouldn't have been all that surprised."…..

…. "Ya, I hear ya on that pal… It wont be long before a bushel of apples costs a bushel of dollar bills, the way things are going"…. Sid commented with a slight chuckle and added in an exasperated tone….

….. "and you can thank our government for that. Anytime some fat ass politician or the military needs more money, for some insane project, it's fire up the press and run off another trillion dollars or so, of worthless money."…. He shook his head in dismay and added….

…. "As much as I hate that insane, power hungry Gen. Mitchell, that's one point I have to agree with him on. I'm sure he has his own interest at heart, but he's hell on wheels about getting this country back on the gold standard. If he were to run for president and rumor has it that he's thinking about it, as much as I hate to admit it, he might have my vote on that point alone"….

Aulay was but half listening to Sid's new political tirade, as his attention was drawn to the sound of a commotion coming from outside.

…. "What the hell's going on out there"…He inquired, mostly to himself, as he craned his neck around to get a better view of the street.

…. "Beats the shit out of me"…. Sid replied absently, as he continued filling out the warranty paperwork… "but if you'd lived in this crazy LA rat race as long as I have, nothing would surprise you"….

"Hmm,… I don't know, something's sure as hell happening out there. I think I'll go check it out"….Aulay replied, as he plunked his Visa card down on the counter and headed for the door.

"Suit yourself pal"…. Sid responded disinterestedly, with a shrug of his shoulders.

* * *

Upon reaching the doorway, Aulay did a quick little dance, with a young man who was attempting to enter at the exact same moment. After he managed to sidestep him successfully, he stepped out onto the sidewalk and glanced around in astonishment at the throngs of people, rushing around, some in a state of total panic. A middle aged man, in the garb of a construction worker, came tearing through the crowd. After knocking and stumbling over several bicycles, in his mad dash for whenever he was headed for, he shoved Aulay aside and continued his panicky flight down the street.

….. "Hey you!"…. Aulay called out, as he chased after him…

….. "Hang on a minuet!"….he cried out, as he caught up, grabbed his shoulder and spun him around to look into a wide eyed, terrified face….

The construction worker just stuttered and stammered, with the look of a mad man, between gasps for breath. Aulay shook him by his shoulders, while hollering above the din of the terrified crowd….

…. "Who there buddy!.. Calm down Ok!…What the hell's going on here!"….

The other man just stared back for a moment, with a trembling jaw and wild eyed expression, before weakly gasping out between heavy breaths…

…. "Th.. they shot them all off!….n… n… not much t.. t.. time!… incoming soon!"…

He pointed up to the sky, while crying out in a trembling voice…

…. "L.. lo.. look.. up there!"… Aulay looked up as his jaw fell agape, at what he beheld and the construction worker broke away, disappearing into the lemming like stampede of humanity.

* * *

Allison had tried on about every helmet in her size. This decision was tougher than deciding on the right bicycle, as they were all so cool looking. With their bright colors and little sparkles, imbedded deep into the glossy paint, she wished she could have them all, but knew she could only have one. Putting one on, in front of the mirror, she would adjust it to different angles, while turning from side to side and making different facial expressions. When she was done with one, she would repeat the process with another.

Finally she had it narrowed down to three, that she kept trying on and comparing, a little red one, a shiny black one with little gold sparkles and a solid gold one. Literally bursting with excitement, over the prospect of getting back home and learning to ride her new bike, she knew that the sooner she chose her helmet, the sooner she could do just that.

Back at Palmdale in her neighborhood, there were a few kids her age that had tricycles. There was another little boy, that was about a year older than her. He had a fancy chain driven one with long multi colored streamers hanging down from the handle grips, numerous red reflectors and was the fastest thing on her block. He was the envy of every kid in her neighborhood, as he went zooming up and down the sidewalk, in front of her house. Nobody but nobody, that was even close to her age, however, had a for real two wheeled bicycle, let alone a fancy little ten speed mountain bike, like she now had. She'd be the talk of the neighborhood and wanted to look just right, so she continued to patiently take her time, in deciding which helmet would look perfect on her.

There was a time when she wanted a trike like her friends had, but that all changed that day in Griffith Park. The thing she had noticed about the other kids on their tricycles was that they always seemed to stay on the sidewalk on their block. The big kids and teenagers with their real bicycles, on the other hand, actually got to go places, get out and explore the world, beyond their immediate neighborhood.

As thrilled as she was over the possibility of becoming the envy of every kid on Carolside Ave and perhaps all of Palmdale or the entire Antelope Valley, as far as she knew, there was more.

A few blocks to the west and south west from her home were huge vacant desert areas, with endless little trails meandering up and down little hills and gullies, to be explored. Farther to the north was Desert Sands Park where the big kids went to play baseball or tennis and shoot of fireworks on the fourth of July. As she thought of it, she swore she could hear the firecrackers going off, at that very moment.

Her early birthday present was more than just a status symbol and a means to gain popularity among her peers. Although she liked that idea as well, it was her ticket to adventure and independence. Mostly however, it was a token of love and trust from her Father. Even at her very young age, she realized it was a huge responsibility. He no longer looked at her as a little toddler. She had proven to him that she could be trusted and would keep her word. She was growing up, earning her freedom and it was like a whole new exciting world was coming into view.

She finally decided on the solid gold helmet, as it looked to her as if it were a gold crown sitting on her head, fitting for Queen Guinevere. Her shiny silver bicycle would be her glistering silvery white stallion, as she went off on her new adventures of exploration. Visions of zooming up and down up and down little hills, dotted with cacti and scrub brush, with the warm desert air blowing through her hair, filled her mind. She dreamed of resting in the endless yellow poppy fields, watching the clouds lazily float by in the bright blue sky.

If she was going to be off discovering new and exciting places, she suddenly realized that she would probably be needing a back pack and water bottle as well. The helmet had been a freebee from the store owner, so she figured her Dad wouldn't mind getting her a few extras to complete the package. In a corner was a tree with various back packs and other accessories hanging from it. As she selected a bright red water bottle, a deep purple back pack caught her eye. It was just her size and had a cartoon picture of Sleeping Beauty and Prince Charming sewn onto it. They looked just like what she imagined King Arthur and Guinevere to look like. Plopping her new helmet on, she grabbed the water bottle and back pack, then scurried happily back out into the main store, where her Father was waiting.

* * *

Sid swiped Aulay's Visa and began inputting the required information into his card reader. As the shouting and screaming from out side increased, he thought to himself…

… "_Great!, sounds like another big war protest converging on city hall….. lets just hope it doesn't turn ugly and explode into another full blown fuckin riot"….._

He never noticed the young man enter the store behind his back….. never heard the little "pop" from the .25 auto….. never felt the bullet pierce the back of his head and ricochet around inside his skull. It was if someone had simply "thrown a switch," as the world disappeared and he was swept away into eternity.

The gunman calmly stuffed the pistol into his jacket pocket, slid Sid's slumped over body away from the cash register and onto the floor. After rifling through the cash box and behind the counter, for anything else he might find useful, he looked down at the lifeless heap sprawled out upon the floor…..

….. "Sorry about that"…. he apologized dispassionately, with a shrug of his shoulders….

…"but you probably would have died horribly, in another twenty minuets or so anyway…. I did you a big fat fuckin _favor_ friend….. as for _me_,….well I don't plan on going down with the ship, like the rest of you chumps…I got a _plan _and seeing as how _you _won't be needing this stuff anymore"…. he stated coolly, while searching Sid's corpse for any other valuables…

…... "I'll just help myself…. a man's gotta look out for himself… ya know?… nothing _personal_ you understand"…..

* * *

Aulay gazed up in shocked disbelief, at the myriad of contrails crisscrossing the sky. They were moving way too fast to be jets and as much as he still couldn't believe it was actually happening, it was all too clear now, what all the panic and commotion was about.

… "_They did it!…they actually did it!…some crazy son of a bitch finally pushed the fuckin button!"….. _he thought to himself in total astonishment….

His first thoughts were of Clair back at Palmdale. Was she even aware of what was developing? If she was, would she know what to do? Was there anything she could do?

There was an Air Force presence at Palmdale Regional Airport, but he doubted that it was significant enough to make Palmdale a primary target. He was confident that the San Gabriel Mtns would provide enough protection that she could survive the initial blast effects, from a strike on the Los Angeles area, in the root cellar, but what about Edwards AFB? It was only thirty miles north of there, if that, across flat desert. Would it be included in a first strike? Would their half completed shelter be adequate in that event?

Every since the US invasion of Turkmenistan and the rapidly deteriorating world political situation, he had planed to deepen and reinforce their root cellar, with sandbagged concrete walls and iron blast doors, "just in case." As he had just recently started work at a new job and funds had been somewhat short, not to mention that he never really took the threat all that seriously, the project had been placed on the "back burner." He had, however, managed to deepen it, sandbag the roof and walls, stock it up with a sizable amount of drinking water, canned foods and a twelve gauge shotgun for defense, if it came down to that. Still, no concrete had been poured and the door was only the original wooden one.

He wished that he and Allison were there with her, but knew that there was simply not enough time. With all the panicked motorists clogging up the highways, he doubted that they would even get clear of the downtown area, before retaliatory missiles arrived. He nervously fumbled for his cell phone, to give her last minuet instructions, assure her not to worry about them and just "hunker down" and take care of herself.

The phone rang and rang and rang, as he paced around in a little circle. After a few minuets that seemed like years, he realized that she was not going to answer. He hoped she was already in the shelter and had forgot her cell phone, for as sickening as the thought was, he knew that there was absolutely nothing he could do for her. The only thing he could do, was to grab Allison and head for cover in the bomb shelter under city hall, that was fortunately only a block away, or in the basement of some large office building. He had no idea of how much time they had left. Perhaps twenty, thirty minuets, or maybe just a moment or two. All he knew was, that the longer he stayed on the phone, in a desperate attempt to get a hold of his wife, the less of a chance he had to get Allison to safety. He snapped it shut and sprinted back toward the bicycle shop.

He bounded thought the door and was about to call out her name, when he noticed the man that he had passed while leaving, a few moments earlier, was now hovering over Sid's apparently lifeless body, striping him of rings and whatever else he could find on him.

…. _"Holy shit!"…. _He exclaimed to himself…. _"The bombs haven't even fallen yet and already we have looters?"…._

He became terrified, that Sid's assailant could have already have found Allison and did God only knows what to her. He was clearly an insane animal, without the slightest regard for anyone but himself. Despite his fears, he had to assume that she had, in fact, gone undetected so far and was still safe, for the moment anyway, in the other room trying on different helmets. It was also very clear that if he were to get his daughter to a safe location, that this "cretin" would have to be dealt with, without alerting him of her presence, in the most timely fashion as possible. He was sure that time was a precious commodity that was quickly running out. Any sort of verbal exchange and /or long drawn out session of fisticuffs, would simply not be in the best interest of getting Allison to safety.

Quickly glancing around, he noticed an old antique bubble gum dispenser, just outside the door, that was fortunately not chained down. He stepped back, grabbed it by its stand and charged back in, toward the "mad dog," that was just finishing up his twisted occupation. As Aulay raised the improvised weapon up over his head and swung it down toward his intended target, the rouge turned around just in time, to duck out of the way of the incoming bludgeon. Little multi colored gum balls went bouncing and rolling around behind the counter, as the glass container shattered onto the floor. Before Aulay could raise his weapon for a second swing, his opponent rolled out of the way, produced his pistol and rapidly popped off six rounds into his stomach.

Aulay staggered back a few paces and stood there for a moment, as his face became white. His arms went limp and the bubble gum stand went clanging onto the floor, as he sunk down on to his knees. A second latter he toppled over backwards, with a leg tucked under him and a dark crimson stain spreading over the front of his shirt, while emitting little gasping choking sounds from his throat.

The gunman sauntered over with a sneer on his face, looked down at him for a moment, then said with a slight chuckle….

…. "Well now, I'll bet ya _that_ sure smarts!"….

He knelt down beside his latest victim, liberating him of his wallet, rings, the gold necklace Clair had given him on their last wedding anniversary and whatever else he had of any value, while continuing on with his one sided conversation. He let out a little sigh and said…..

….. "You just _had_ to come back now…didn't you?…try to _save_ the fuckin day…. Ya know…you hero types _really_ crack me up….. Don't you guys listen to the _police?…. _You're _not _suppose to take the law into your own hands….. It's _dangerous! _…. You don't know what the fuck you're doin for Christ sakes…

He rose back up to his feet, gave Aulay a final glace and said in parting….

…. "As much as I'd like to stick around and listen to you gag out your last breaths, I have this funny feeling that 'the mushrooms will be sprouting' before too much longer and I _really_ should be getting along….. so sleep tight, hero…don't let the bed bugs bite"…. he concluded with a smirk and a chuckle, before slipping on out the door.

* * *

Allison was beside herself with joy and exhilaration, as she came bouncing through the rows of bicycles. With her golden helmet on her head, she threw her arms up in the air, with the back pack in one hand and the water bottle in the other. She cried out exuberantly….

….. "Dad! Dad!…look what I found!…Is it Ok?…It's perfect!.. Look!.. it even has a picture of"….

She froze in her tracks, as the sight of her Father sprawled out on the floor came into view. Her arms dropped back down to her sides and she called out again, in a weaker bewildered voice….

…."Dad?"… Dad?…what's wrong?"..

Dashing over to him, she let the back pack and water bottle drop from her hands, as she knelt down at his side. The room went deathly silent, as she notice him staring up into nothingness, with glassy eyes and blood soaked shirt. Her little hands shot up and crisscrossed over her mouth, as she stared at him momentarily in shock. A weak little voice exclaimed from under her hands…

…. "Oh no!…oh no!"….

She reached out and grabbed his shoulders and started shaking them, while crying out…

…. "Dad!…Dad!…wake up!…_please!.._ wake up!"…..

Tears streamed down her cheeks, as she continued to cry out to him, while desperately shaking his shoulders. Finally she said….

…. "I'll get help!…you'll be Ok!… I'll get a doctor.. Ok?"…

She glanced around the room in a panic, looking for the store owner, who was laying behind the counter. Not sure as to what had become of him, she stood up and ran out the door, while crying …..

….. "My Dad!.. my Dad!… he's hurt!… help him please!… call a doctor!.. he's hurt!"…

As she dashed out onto the sidewalk, her tear soaked panicky little face took on a look of total bewilderment, as she glanced around at a scene of total chaos.

People were running about hollering and shouting. They would shove her aside as they hurried past. Cars were racing down the street and two drivers were out in front of a steaming wreckage, having a fistfight.

She looked up at an approaching passerby, with a scared, desperate look on her tear streaked face and cried out in a frantic pleading voice, while attempting to grab onto his leg and pointing into the store…

… "Please!… my Dad!… help him!"….

Without even breaking his stride, he shoved her out of his way knocking her to the ground, as he shot past in a total panic. Getting back up, she continued pointing toward the store and screaming at the top of her lungs, in a distraught voice, to anybody she could for help, as they ran past without so much as a glance.

Suddenly, to add to the confusion and panic, a loud ear piercing howl started echoing across the city, driving the terrified masses into a total frenzy. Shouting became horrified screaming, as they pushed, shoved and trampled over one another.

A big black SUV came careening down the street. It smacked a pedestrian, launching him into the air as the driver lost control, sideswiping several parked cars. Allison stood in total lost confusion, with her hands clasped tightly over her ears, as the sirens continued on with their shrieking song.

Her head snapped in the direction of still yet another sound and she froze in wide eyed horror, as the SUV bounced up over the curb, plowed through the bicycle display, sending them flying in all directions and bore down on her, like some big black snarling beast.

Someone grabbed her arm and deftly yanked her back from it's path, as it ground into several storefronts, ricocheted down the walkway, mowing people over like so many bowling pins, before coming to rest with it's horn blaring, after smashing into a fire hydrant, sending a twenty foot high geyser shooting into the air.

A teenage boy knelt down in front of her, flanked by an older man and another young boy, that looked like about a third or forth grader, then inquired with a concerned look….

….. "Are you Ok?….are you all alone?….where's your Mom and Dad?"…

She was still trembling, as she tried to rub the tears from her eyes with her fists. Looking back at the teenager, then up to the older man with her pleading eyes, she simply pointed and said in a weak pitiful voice….between sobs..

….. "My Dad's in there….. he's hurt….. can you call a doctor?"….

The older man just nodded his head, then said to the teenager….

…. "I'll check it out, you and your brother stay here with her" …..

The teenager protested, somewhat nervously, by saying …

….. "Hey look John, we don't have a lot of time left"….

….. "I'm _well_ aware of that, but were _not_ going to leave her here all alone"… John replied authoritatively …

The teenager thought for a moment, then just nodded in agreement, with a solemn look on his face.

John glanced around the bicycle shop and saw Sid laying behind the counter, with blood trickling out of the back of his head and Aulay laying in the middle of the room in a pool of blood. From the cash box hanging open empty, the smashed bubblegum machine and floor littered with gumballs, it didn't take a Sherlock Holmes to picture what had happened. Whatever one had been the little girl's Dad wasn't all that clear, but it really didn't matter, as they were obviously both quite dead. He did a quick search of the helmet room, rest room and Sid's office, just to make sure there wasn't another, that could have been the Father and perhaps still alive.

Satisfied that one of the deceased was in fact her late father, he wondered for a moment exactly how much of the action see had witnessed. As time was getting extremely short, he decided that wasn't all that important either. They were dead. He and his companions were alive and if they expected to stay that way, they needed to get moving…. pronto.

The little girl seemed to be under the impression the he was still alive, so he had one more task to perform.

… "_Ok Johnny, how do you go about telling a terrified, three or four year girl, on the brink of Armageddon, that her Dad is dead?…. that she might be an orphan now?"…_

He thought for a moment, then mentally concluded…..

….. "_You don't….you think up a quick lie"…_

The older of the two brothers was still kneeling down wiping her tears away. The younger one came over and inquired…..

….. "What's your name?"….

She just stared at him, unable to speak and the older boy chided his little brother slightly, by saying…..

….. "Just let her be Kyle, she's _really_ scared. She doesn't have to say anything if she doesn't want to"…..

Kyle looked back at Allison and reassured her…

….. "It's Ok…. We won't hurt you…I'll be your friend if you want"… He noticed her golden helmet, with the price tag still hanging from it and said….

….. "That's a real neat helmet you have, did your Dad just get that for you?"…

She just nodded her head slightly, while remembering the last time she saw her Dad. She wasn't even four years old yet, but she had seen a few movies and TV shows. She didn't want to accept it, or admit it to herself, but deep inside she knew….. He was dead. She was just hoping against hope that it wasn't so. She reflected back on when he had bought her the bicycle and she had hugged him, when she went happily back to that other room to pick out her helmet and her lip started trembling, as tears again started flowing from her eyes.

The teenager quickly pulled her back into a hug and gently rocked her, as she silently sobbed.

… "See Kyle?…what did I just tell you?"….. he again reprimanded his little brother…

….. "I'm sorry Derek" …. Kyle apologized…."I just want to help her"…. he explained in a slightly downcast voice.

… "That's Ok… I know you mean well, but she's _really_ upset, so just give her some time Ok?"….. Derek assured him…

About that time, John emerged from the cycle shop. Allison had her face buried in Derek's chest, as he looked up to him curiously. John just shook his head slightly with a solemn look.

…_. "Damn!"…._Derek thought to himself…. _"poor thing, this is really going to be tough on her"….._

John knelt down next to Derek and Allison, as he motioned for him to let him talk to her. As he took over comforting her, he wiped a few tears from her face then said…..

….. "Hey come on, you shouldn't be crying like this. Your Dad told me what a big brave little girl you are"…..

Allison's heart skipped a beat upon hearing the news…

… "You talked to him?…. He's Ok?"… She inquired hopefully, wiping a few more tears from her face.

… "Yes, I talked to him. I called a doctor and an ambulance is on it's way"…

….. "Oh thank you!" …she exclaimed in a relieved little voice, as she hugged him…. "You're such a nice man"….

She broke away and started for the shop entrance, but John restrained her saying….

… "Who!…wait a minuet, you can't go in there right now"….

….. "Why not?… why can't I see my Dad?"….. she queried, giving John a suspicious look..

…. "Uh well …because the doctor said he needs to rest, he's very sick, but he'll be good as new if he gets lots of rest" …He explained nervously… "You want him to get well don't you?"… he inquired with a serious look….

… "Oh yes!"…she exclaimed emphatically …

…. "Ok then, it's all settled…. so come on, we need to get going"… he concluded in a serious tone…..

….. "Why do I have to go with you, why can't I just wait here?"….. she again inquired with more suspicion creeping into her voice….

… "Well.. uh.. because your Dad told me he wanted me to take care of you, until he gets better. There's a lot of people out here today and their real mad about the war. Remember that car that almost ran over you? It's too dangerous for you to be out here by yourself"…

She vividly remembered the indecent he was referring to and how the teenager had saved her life just a few minuets ago, but she was still a bit suspicious. Her Dad had always told her to never trust or talk to strangers and even in her three year old mind, a lot of this guys story didn't seem to make sense. Why couldn't she go in and see her Dad, if she promised to just sit with him and be quiet? Why couldn't he call her Mom to come down and pick her up, so she could just go home? He didn't seem to know her name. If her Dad had asked him to watch her, wouldn't he have told him her name? Her parents had always told her babysitters her name.

She was about to fire another volley of questions, when the youngest one came over to her and said…..

….. "Come on it will be fun, my big brother said we we're going to go exploring some old caves under the buildings. I'd like to be your friend.. I promise I wont let anyone hurt you. Ok?"…

While she still wasn't sure if she trusted the others or not, there was something about the youngest one that she really liked, that made her feel secure. She had to admit, that even if she didn't fully trust the others, they _had_ been awfully nice to her and the teenager _had _saved her live. While she was becoming somewhat relieved about her Dad's condition, she was still _very_ worried about him. If the oldest one _was_ telling the truth, about how he needed to be alone in order to get better then that was fine with her, because _nothing_ was more important to her than her Dad.

She kept looking at the young one and his kind looking eyes. She just knew, for some reason she couldn't explain, she would always be able to trust him. She answered him back, albeit a little timidly….

….. "Well …Ok I'll go with you …. I'll be your friend"…..

Before Kyle could respond, John and Derek said anxiously, almost in unison….

…. "Ok.. great!.. Lest get moving!"…..

John picked Allison up and the four of them took off down the street, Derek almost dragging Kyle by the arm, toward the city hall building.

As they approached the front entrance, the mass of frenzied humanity, fighting, pushing and shoving, punctuated by an occasional gunshot, made it clear that seeking refuge there would be but an exercise in futility. John turned to Derek with a slight look of concern, but before he cold comment, Derek spoke up with….

….. "Don't worry, we don't have to go in that way"… he assured him… "I did an extensive study on the civil defense system, for one of my classes during my freshman year in high school. This whole area's honeycombed with underground tunnels, that were built back in the 50's and 60's and there's other ways in, that most people don't know about."….He hurriedly glance around until he spotted an abandoned city maintenance truck by an open manhole…

….. "Hurry, follow me!"…he cried out….

They peered into the manhole, only to find that it was flooded with water.

….. "Damn!" … Derek muttered ….

John again looked at him, with an increasing look of concern and inquired…

…. "Ok…now what?"….

…. "We got one more shot"…. Derek stated, as he pointed to a small three story building…..

….. "Are you _sure_ you know what you're doing! I happen to know, that that building doesn't even have a basement." …. John commented, with a _very_ _pronounced_ look of concern….

….. "No, but nobody's there and it has an elevator. That's what we need"….Derek explained while rummaging around it the truck, producing a tool satchel, several flashlights and extra batteries.

….. "An elevator!"…. John exclaimed incredulously…

Derek grabbed the satchel and hastily commented….

"Look… I never was that great in school, but this stuff always fascinated me and it was one of the few thing I knew something about, other than baseball. We don't have enough time left for me to explain, so please _just_ trust me on this, Ok?"… He concluded, as he rapidly took off toward the small building, with Kyle in tow.

Upon entering the building, it was pretty much vacant, as most had already fled for the large bomb shelter under city hall. The elevator was standing open, on the ground floor and Derek hopped in while instructing the others to remain outside. He punched the button to the third floor and jumped back out, as the doors closed behind him and waited. He watched the indicator lights and when the elevator had docked at the top floor, he pulled a large crowbar from the tool satchel….

….. " Quick, give me a hand!, we need to get this open!"… Derek barked out…

John set Allison down smartly and jumped in to help Derek, who was feverishly prying at the sliding doors….

… "_Holy shit!… I sure hope this kid knows what he's doing!"…_ He thought to himself, as the blaring sirens reverberated through his aching head.

It had been a bad day from the get go and was rapidly getting worse. He had been awakened that morning, with a splitting hangover, by the sound of the landlord pounding on his door and shrieking about when he was going to "cough up" the last three months rent. After managing to halfway quell his irate landlord, with promises that he wasn't all that sure he would be able to keep, he had drug himself off to work, only to be immediately canned, for his habitual half drunken tardiness. It had been the third job he had gone through, that month alone. He cursed himself for getting totally snokkered the previous night, on cheep beer and mescal, or for even returning to the L.A. area from Mexico, after his Mother's passing six years ago, in the first place.

When the news came out that congress had passed funding for the Sky-Net defense bill, _two_ _years _ago, he should have taken the hint _then_, to "get out of Dodge." It had become pretty obvious, that his Mother's act of "terminating" the Cyberdyne Corp, had been in vain and that this day was most likely to occur regardless.

The only _good_ thing, that he could see so far, was the ironic chance of coming upon Derek, who's old "clunker" had broken down on the I-5. It had been him, who had first pointed out the outgoing missiles in the sky and the need to take cover, after John had pulled over to see if they need a lift. Upon learning that the kid's little brother's name was Kyle, he had nervously inquired as to their last name. When he heard the name "Reese" it was like all that his Mother had told him, that he had actually been trying to forget, came back with a vengeance.

Had it not been for Uncle Bob's intervention into his life, he would have dismissed his late Mother as a total nut job, with all her rantings about robots, time travel and a dead father that in fact hadn't even been _born_ yet, at the time of his death. He still had a hard time dealing with the distinct possibility, that this eight year old kid could be his deceased Father, that he would eventually have to send back in time, to protect his Mother and ensure his own birth.

Maybe it was just an _extremely _rare coincidence. Maybe there were _several _Kyle Reese's around. His Mother never _did_ mention his Father having a brother, that would in essence be his future Uncle. If this _was _in fact the one, what would happen if he _didn't_ send him back someday? What would have happened if he _hadn't _found them, broke down where they would have been vaporized in the forthcoming holocaust? He _was_ actually here. He _had _in fact already been born. Would he just disappear and everyone that had known him just forget they ever saw him?

If this _was_ the beginning, of what he feared it was and he _was_ in fact destined to become some great leader in a dismal post apocalyptic word, he had a sickening thought. After the deaths of untold billions of people, for him personally, it would probably be the best thing to ever happen. Other than making the FBI's ten most wanted list, by the age of eleven, it sure didn't seem as if he would amount to a "hill of beans" in the _present_ world.

Although the sirens were still screaming all across the city, the crowd of crazed people had more or less dispersed, from where they were at the present time. For the first time since this whole horrific ordeal had begun, Allison started to feel a slight calming sensation, as she stood next to her new friend and watched his older brother and the one they called John, prying the elevator doors apart. She had a slight concern about what they were doing, then turned to Kyle and asked…

…. "Are we going to get in trouble for this?"….

Kyle turned to her and replied with a serious look…..

…. "Na… Derek's a _good _boy and he knows what he's doing"…. he put his hand on her shoulder and added…..

….. "Don't worry"….

He stared at her for a moment, then inquired again….

….. "What's your name?"….

She now felt totally comfortable with him and was about to comply with his request, when she remembered something. She wasn't sure if John was being all that truthful with her concerning her Dad and wanted to know if he knew her name or not. That way she would know. She couldn't give out her name, for if she did, she would never know if he was telling the truth. She didn't like the idea of lying to Kyle, but figured she could tell him her real name, explain why she had lied to him later and he would understand.

She thought for a moment and said….

…. "Guinevere"….

After they had successfully opened the doors, Derek let out a sigh of relief, as he spotted a light green metal trap door, on the floor of the elevator shaft. He fumbled through their tools, as John held the doors open and quickly pulled out a pair of bolt cutters. Snapping the padlock, he flung the trap door open, clicked on a flashlight, peered into the dark hole and noticed the metal climbing rungs were intact.

….. "Ok come on! let's go!"….. he shouted out, while donning a head lamp and tossing one to John. Grabbing Kyle, he helped him down the rungs, while John did the same with Allison. When they safely reached the bottom, he issued the two kids flashlights, as the headlamp bands were too big for them.

….. "Ooo! this is fun!" …Allison squealed…

….. "See, I told ya"…. Kyle replied, as he shined his flashlight up from his chin, while making grotesque faces. Allison giggled and started doing the same in return, as John inquired of Derek…

…. "So, you know where we are?"….

…. "Well, I'm not sure exactly"….. Derek replied, but before John could reply he held up his hand and added…

…. "But…. this will buy us some time"… He looked sadly down at the two youngsters, clowning around with each other, oblivious to the impending disaster and pulled John off to the side, while continuing to explain in a hushed voice…

…. "This tunnel system connects with the subways, most of the basements of the larger buildings and all the bomb shelters in the downtown area, where there should be medical supplies, safe food and drinking water. It was built during the last "cold war" and can withstand an up to twenty, possibly thirty megaton thermal nuclear airburst, from the type of weapons they had back then. Nowadays, they use multiple warheads, up to twelve, on a single missile, which can cover a much larger area, produce a much larger and widespread yield of radiation, but their generally much smaller per warhead. One megaton or less. So we should have ample protection from the initial blast down here. After that we can explore and find a shelter to obtain food and water. Not a lot of people still know about these tunnels, but I'm sure we may run into others and"…

He sighed and shook his head slightly, then continued on solemnly….

….. "from what I witnessed today about human nature, we may need weapons. You stay here and watch the kids and I'll see if I can't run back up topside to get the crowbars. There not much, but better than nothing I guess."….

John pulled a Glock 9mm out from under his jacket saying…..

… "Don't worry, I got us covered on that"….. and added…. "Never go anywhere without it"…

Derek gave him a shocked look. John, sensing his apprehension, explained reassuringly…

…. "Hey, don't worry, I'm not a gangbanger, hit man or anything like that"…. He paused for a second then continued…

…. "It's a long, long story"…..

Derek shook his head and replied…..

….. "That's Ok, even if you _were_, I don't suppose it makes much difference now. After what I've seen of you today, the way you've looked after her"…. as he nodded his head toward Allison….. "and the way you saved _our _asses, you're Ok in _my_ book. I'll be in debt to you for a long time"….. he concluded sincerely….

John shrugged his shoulders and said….

….. "Ah… don't worry about it, if it weren't for you I'd _still_ be out there running around wondering where to go"….

….. "Ya, Ok.. whatever, but I should still run up there and grab the tools. Ya never know; we may need them and the extra lights and batteries. Their's no telling _how_ long it will be before can go back outside"… Derek responded….

….. "Well ya better hurry, all hell could break loose up there, any second now."… John cautioned him…

…. "Don't worry, I was a pitcher, but one hell of a base runner too."…. Derek explained confidently…. "You get my little brother and his friend there, as far away from this shaft as you can and I'll catch up with ya"….

No sooner had the words left his mouth, when a blinding white beam of light flashed down the access shaft, piercing the darkness of the tunnel….

….. "RUN!"…. Derek shouted, as he grabbed Kyle and took off in the opposite direction.

Allison screamed, as John scooped her up and shot into the darkness, hot on Derek's heels.

…_.. "one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three"…._Derek mentally counted, as beads of sweat rolled off his forehead…..

…. "GET DOWN!..HANG ON!"…. He cried out, as they hit the floor…

John and Derek lay on the floor for a second, their arms wrapped tightly around each other, with Kyle and Allison sandwiched between them, screaming in terror. Derek's head lamp ripped off his head, flew through the air and went clattering back up the access shaft, as they found themselves sliding across the concrete, being sucked back the way from which they had just run, accompanied by a shrieking whooshing sound.

A second later they felt a hot blast of air, as if from an open blast furnace, come thundering down the open shaft, sending them tumbling back in the opposite direction. John's headlamp tore off his head as the two terrified kids lost their grip on the flashlights, which went flipping and flopping ahead of them, into the darkness, followed by a dull rumbling sound that shook the earth to it's core, as tons of broken concrete and other debris came crashing down the shaft behind them, spilling out onto the floor.

Then it was over, ….as they lay in deathly silent darkness, punctuated only by Allison's weak little sobs.

After they had collected their wits, John went on ahead and found the one remaining flash light that was still working, while Derek stayed behind and attempted to consol the two youngest ones as best he could. He realized that the time was soon coming that the truth would have to be made known to them and was desperately trying to figure out what he could say, that they could possibly understand.

…_.. "How do you tell an eight year old kid that the world had just ended"… _He mused grimly to himself…

With some light to guide him now, John manager to locate the rest of the lights. They had been rendered inoperable, as they bounced across the concrete, but he salvaged the batteries and stuffed them into his jacket pockets.

When he returned to the rest of the group, he explained to the children that there had been an earthquake and while it might be a few days before they reached them, rescue workers were at that very moment attempting to dig them out. Kyle seemed to be taking it all in stride.

John had learned from Derek, that their Dad had gone on a business trip to New York City and had taken their Mother with him, leaving him in charge of his younger brother.

While Derek was _certain_, that if this had been an all out nuclear exchange, New York most likely had been hit and the chances that their parents had survived would be marginal at best. Still, the "earthquake story" would serve to assure Kyle that his Mom and Dad were Ok, so he at least wouldn't have to worry about _them_, for the time being anyway.

Allison, however, seemed beside herself on the verge of hysteria, worrying about her parents, especially her Dad, as she was certain that the bicycle shop had most likely collapsed on him.

John explained to her, that he had been taken to a hospital, long before the earthquake struck and that hospitals were all "earthquake proof," so she had no need to worry and that things would be just fine. He also learned from her that she was from Palmdale and further explained that it was too far away to have been effected, so the her Mom should _also_ be just fine.

Allison still wasn't sure if she believed him or not, but his explanation seemed as reasonable as anything she could think of. She also remembered her Dad talking to her Mom one time about a hospital he was designing and how it had to be able to survive earthquakes. Maybe he was telling her the truth after all, besides, her Dad _couldn't_ be dead, he just couldn't. She _refused _to believe that.

John still hadn't referred to her by her real name, however. Kyle had even addressed her by the name of "Guenn" and John hadn't corrected him. That troubled her.

While he himself, couldn't think of anything better to tell them at the time, Derek pulled John off to the side and whispered…..

…. "How much longer can we keep lying to them?… Kyle's my brother and I know him. I think I can explain things, when the time's right and he'll be able to handle it, but what about her? She's gonna find out sooner or later and I think she'll take it pretty hard."….

…. "Ya I know"….John replied, while sadly shaking his head…. "but just look at her, that hope is _all_ she's got left. You and Kyle at _least _have each other, you still have family. I don't think she's aware of it, but her Dad was _murdered_. How can I tell her _that? _Edwards is just north of Palmdale and you _know _they got plastered. Her Mom is probably just ashes and if she had any brothers or sisters, you know _damn well _the same happened to them. Would _you _want to tell her that? We need to find food and water, if not for ourselves, for them. We could run into some very ugly people before we do and things could get worse before they get better. She's going to need all the strength she has, just to _survive. _Sooner or latter, _yes_… she'll know we were lying to her and she'll be totally devastated, but for now she just needs to survive. If that hope, even if it's a _lie_, is all she has left…. if it's all that's keeping her going, …. well could _you_ take that away from her?"…..

Derek tightened his lips as he nodded his head. As much as he hated to have to lie to them, to give her false hopes, he knew John was right. There would be enough harsh realities as it was, in the next few days that they would have to face, without voluntarily adding more.

John gave him a light slap on the back and said…

….. "You're a good young man. Come on we need to get moving…. Ok?"….

The rest of the day went fairly smooth, relatively speaking, as they groped through the darkness exploring, what could be for some time to come, their new home. They came upon a few others along the way, that had found their way into the old tunnel system and those encounters also went, much to John and Derek's relief, without incident for the most part. They all seemed to realize the wisdom of banding together as opposed to "going it alone." John, much to his own surprise, when reflecting on the disaster that the first twenty eight years of his life had been, seemed to be totally in command of the situation.

There was one individual, however, that most took an immediate dislike to. He just went by the name of "Jasper" and had a particularly self centered, smart ass, surly attitude that tended to "turn people off." John had never made any sort of claim to authority, nor did he really think he cared to. The people just seemed to look to him for leadership and he accepted the responsibility.

In a few short hours there was a "showdown." Jasper, after continually challenging the authority that John had never even made claim to, contended that the only reason everyone seemed to think that he was such a big goddamned "hero" was because he had a gun. He then produced his own pistol, a cheap Saturday night special, brazenly showing it off to the group and stated that he didn't have to take anymore of John's crap.

John simply explained to him that he had no _desire_ for any type of leadership role and that if _he _wanted to assume that spot, it was fine with him. However, if he wanted to "jump bad," he was also _most _welcome to give it "his best shot." He then handed his Glock over to Derek, narrowed his eyes and said…..

…. "Any time you're ready…. cabrón"….

As Allison watched the two alpha males "squaring off," she wasn't sure what to think. Deep inside, she wanted to trust John and believe in him, but she also still had a dread that he was lying to her about her Dad. It had crossed her mind that when he went into the store, he may have never even spoken to him, much less called a doctor, that he simple didn't want to bother with him, like everyone else that day and had left him there to face his fate all alone. In spite of her slight misgivings of him, however, she had started to feel somewhat secure in his presence, as she noticed he had a way of keeping people from acting so crazy.

There was something about Jasper, however, that gave her the creeps, every since he first joined their group. Still, John _had_ seemed to be getting, as Jasper had maintained, "a little big for his britches" and the way he had confronted him about it filled her with a slight sense of admiration.

After a minuet or two of tenseness, Jasper backed off. John told him if he was going to _insist_ on acting like an ass and continue to create discord among the group, that it would be best for all concerned if he were to hand over his weapon. If not, he was _more_ than welcome to leave and go fend for himself. He further cautioned him, that if he chose the second option that it _could be _a rather small world anymore and his reputation _would_ most likely follow him.

About ten minuets after relinquishing his pistol, Jasper came back up to John and offered a very humble apology for his previous behavior, a little _too_ humble, John thought to himself. He explained that he had lost both of his brothers, along with his Mother in the attack and hadn't been in his right mind. The chastisement he had received from John, he claimed, had made him "stop and think" and he was ready to straighten up, assume some responsibility and do his part for the "common cause." He further maintained that in "the interest of the safety of the group," _naturally_, that two armed men would be far more effective than one man with two guns, if they should happen to run into trouble. He also pointed out, that as he didn't think that anyone else in their group even knew _how_ to handle a weapon that he would be the best choice, to act as a second armed guard.

John was pretty much convince that the guy was totally "full of shit" and thought of himself as a real "slick talker." He figured that before the bombs dropped he was most likely nothing more than some common "street punk," that had probably sustained himself by mugging old men and raping old women in dark allies. When he felt _exceptionally_ brave, possibly even a convenience store or two had fallen to him on occasion. Still, he _had _made a valid point.

He glanced around at their little group, that now numbered seven people other than Jasper and himself. It consisted of two children, a somewhat over weight older man, that had had a bit of difficulty even keeping up with the group at the original pace, two young women that had been nurse's aids and a rather meek middle aged man that had been a shoe salesman, none of which he was sure if they would even know what end of a gun to point at an enemy. Derek, while seeming to posses a high degree of courage, had admitted to him that he had never even been in a fist fight and seemed quite nervous about even holding John's weapon, while he was facing off with Jasper.

With more than a bit of reluctance, he returned his pistol, but not without a few very stern warnings. John also, in order to keep an eye on him, insisted that he take the point position. Jasper, with his already over inflated self absorbed ego, took it as an honor, as he advanced to the front with a sly smirk on his face.

They now possessed four working flashlights, between them, which made the going considerably smoother and seemed to raise everyone's spirits in like degree. As John was unsure as to how long it would be, before they would find the main shelter area, he suggested, however, that they should only burn two at a time to conserve the precious batteries, one at the front and one at the rear. In order to keep spirits up, one of the young ladies suggested that they should all sing songs together. After a few minuets of trying to decide on one that everyone would be familiar with, Kyle suggested one hundred bottles of beer on the wall.

Allison had no trouble counting to one hundred and beyond, but counting backwards was something that she had never quite seemed to master. With a little help from Kyle, however, whose side she never strayed from, she quickly and proudly overcame her deficiency and It wasn't long before she too was effortlessly singing along. Her concerns and worries seemed to melt away, as she marched alongside, chanting in perfect harmony, with her new best friend…..

…_. "…..Ninety nine bottles of beer on the wall…. Ninety nine bottles of beer… take one down, pass it around… ninety eight bottles of beer on the wall…."….._

Despite Jasper's rather obvious character defects, he seemed to have a fair knowledge of the old tunnel system. Within a few hours, they had found their way, without further incident, to the large crowded shelter that had been under the city hall building.

Much of the surviving populace, while still bickering amongst themselves in a state of mass confusion, had made tremendous progress, relatively speaking, toward regaining some common sense, now that the initial attack had passed. They had set up a couple of large battery powered lamps, for lighting and were attempting to inventory the food and water stores. While there were a few who protested the admission of any more refugees, John and his group were, for the most part, readily accepted.

Derek had mentioned that there were several other shelter areas scattered throughout the downtown area, possible with other survivors and supplies, that the tunnel system from which they had emerged connected with. He further maintained that as so few people were aware of their existence, that it was highly possible that the ratio of supplies to the surviving population might be well in their favor.

John immediately suggested that search and rescue teams should be formed, while Jasper vehemently countered the proposal. He contended, that while there were indeed other shelters, they had been long forgotten about by civil defense authorities and would be devoid of any useful supplies. The entire venture would serve only to waste time and expose people to unnecessary risk. He further maintained that any more "waifs," as he put it, should be barred entry to the shelter, as they barely had enough food and water for themselves.

….. "It's nothing personal against them, you understand, but it's a harsh world now and we need to look out for ourselves."…..he concluded…

It took about five minuets of discussion for John's plan to be agreed upon nearly unanimously. The following morning, three groups of six able bodied men, preferably armed, were to begin a search and rescue operation. John was to lead one, an LAPD inspector had volunteered to head up another while Jasper, much to John and most everybody else's surprise, had offered to take charge of the third. When John queried him as to his sudden "change of heart," he explained, with a somewhat dubious smile, that he wasn't a "sore looser." his concern, he claimed, had been for the good of the whole, but if this was the "will of the people" then he would gladly do his part, as he had no intention to be a source of unrest.

While John was not all that convinced with his explanation, he had become aware that among the nearly three hundred survivors, that there was an extreme shortage of armed personnel. Also, because Jasper had proven to have a fair knowledge of the tunnels, he quite reluctantly conceded, but made sure there were at _least _two other armed men in his party, that he _could_ trust. There were a couple of Navy SEAL's and while they were unarmed, he made sure they went along as well.

The police inspector had informed him, that in the basement of the LAPD building, there was a sizable armory of weapons and ammunition, that might be able to be reached via the tunnel system as well. John decided that that should be prioritized also, not so much as to arm themselves, but to keep it from falling into the hands of others, that might have a slightly more nefarious intent, like Mr. Jasper.

Derek had volunteered to go along, on one of the search parties, but John had told him that watching over Guenn (as they were now referring to Allison) and his younger brother was of a much higher priority and that there would be much work to be done, inside the main camp.

There were cots, hammocks and a first aid station to be set up. Lights needed to be strung out. Emergency generators to power them, along with a short wave radio would have to be fired up and a way to vent the exhaust fumes to the outside, would have to be devised. Among their supplies, were a couple of CBRN suits and there would need to be a volunteer, to venture outside to set up the antenna for the short wave and sensors for the rad meter, to aid in locating other possible survivors and monitor the fallout's rate of decay.

Derek again volunteered for the more hazardous duty outside. John Reminded him that, due to Kyle, he shouldn't be taking undue risks with himself. Despite the fact that Derek was barely eighteen years old, he seemed to possess a level headedness lacking in most others. John announced that he would be placing him in charge, during his forthcoming absence and while there was a bit of murmuring at first, on account of his young age, John quelled it buy asking if they had a better candidate for the job. After about thirty minuets of bickering among themselves, as no two people could agree upon the same person, they accepted Derek as John's temporary second in command.

Early the next day, the three groups set out in search of other possible survivors and supplies, while Allison and Kyle pitched in with the other children, doing what ever they could to assist with various projects in the shelter area, under Derek's watchful eye.

Jasper and his group returned, in just over an hour. He claimed that, as he warned everyone earlier, that there was simply nothing to be found, while the other members of his party grumbled that it had seemed as if he had been doing nothing but leading them around in circles. Immediately, upon his return, he started "bucking horns" with Derek, stating that there was no way he would take orders from a "snot nosed" teenage punk and if they had any sense, they would appoint him as their leader. In a mere thirty minuets or less, instead of garnering support, he had managed to alienate nearly the entire population against him, with his rants. The two SEAL's, finally having a belly full of his crap, threatened to bodily toss him out the front door, into the radioactive rubble, if he didn't "put a sock in it." Glaring at everyone, he retreated to a corner while muttering that they were nothing but a bunch of "chumps," that John was using for his own personal gratification. He sat there and sulked, ignored by most everyone.

Allison was the youngest and smallest out of about thirty other children, in the city hall bomb shelter. Aside from Kyle, who was her best friend and rarely left her side, they would have little to do with her and while she really didn't mind so much, she was pretty much an outcast. She noticed Jasper sitting by himself in a dark corner and wondered why he was not working or talking to anyone.

If not for Kyle befriending her, this whole experience would have been absolutely more have she could have possibly endured and she knew that. Jasper had always giver her a creepy feeling, but as she looked over to him, she imagined him being as herself, had it not been for Kyle and she felt a slight twinge of sympathy.

… "Don't you have any friends?"….. she inquired, after walking over to him…..

He regarded her for a moment, with a scowl, then snapped back….

….. "I got _plenty_ of friends kid"….. and continued on muttering…

….. "as soon as I can figure out how to get out of this zoo and get to them"…..

Allison stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out why he had called this place a zoo, as she hadn't seen any animals at all, not even a dog or a cat. Finally ignoring the "zoo" remark, as she couldn't imagine why he had said it, she decided to cheer him up a bit, by assuring him he would soon be out and be seeing his friends again….

….. "Don't be sad, John said that there are people out there digging us out, so you can see your friends again"… She explained innocently ….

…. "Digging us out?… people out there?"…. He exclaimed uproariously…. "Johnny boy's been _lying_ to you, kid. There ain't _nobody_ out there, cause there all dead!"…

She stood in shock for a moment, in the wake of Jasper's outburst. She felt her deepest fears rising, but desperately grabbed hold of her hope. John had assured her that her Dad was Ok and things would be fine. He had done so much to help everyone. He couldn't be lying to her, he just couldn't, besides Jasper had thought he was at the zoo. He must surely have been mistaken,…. she hoped,….as she regained her confidence and stated….

…. "Oh no!… there's _lots _of people out there. My Dad's in the hospital and it's earthquake proof. There's doctors and nurses and _lots_ of people there with him"…. she concluded athorityivly…..

… "Hospital?….earthquake?…. what the hell they been telling you anyway?"….. He queried with a snicker and an amused look….. "There weren't no _earthqake_, there's no _hospitals_ and there's _no_ people out there. _Everything_ got blown to hell. If your Dad _was_ out there, then he's dead as a doornail kid….or he soon _will be_."… he concluded with a chuckle….

She now _knew, _he was wrong. There _had _been an earthquake. She _felt _it….what _else_ could make everything shake like that. As she was about to confidently correct him, he reached out and fondled the hair sticking out from her helmet. With a sly, creepy smile forming on his face, he commented….

….. "Ya know, you got _real _pretty hair…. Would you like to be _my _friend?…. I won't lie to you like everybody _else_ does."…

Allison had remembered her parents warning her, about talking to strange grown-ups' and wished she had heeded their advice, as she recoiled from his touch. In a nervous voice she said, while backing away from him…..

…. "Uh.. I think I need to go help my friend"….

She turned and quickly scampered back over to Kyle, who was helping to set up cots.

…. "I don't think I like that guy"… She declared, while glancing back in Jasper's direction and grabbing hold of Kyle's arm….

…. "Ya he's a creep, nobody likes him"…. Kyle agreed, while glancing toward him momentary and hugging her with his left arm slightly…

…. "Derek told me to stay away from him and you should too"…He advised her, as he went back to spreading an army blanket over a cot…

…. "Oh I will!"….. Allison exclaimed, while assisting Kyle with his duties…..

After a few minuets, Allison stopped, looked a Kyle curiously and queried….

… "Do you think that was an earthquake yesterday?…. You think my Dad's Ok?"

… "John says so"…. He replied confidently….

That wasn't the answer she was looking for, but as Kyle seemed to trust what John had said, it was good enough. After a little more thought, Allison further inquired….

….. "Do you like John?"….

Kyle had never really thought about it, but at the question he stopped working for a moment in contemplation. He realized that from the first time he had met him, when John had picked him and Derek up on the freeway, that he felt almost like another brother to him, like he was part of his family. He replied thoughtfully…..

….. "Oh I don't know, he's Ok. He made everyone here stop acting so crazy and helps us a lot….so ya…. I like him"…. He concluded with conviction.

Allison, with her hope and confidence restored by Kyle's faith in John's word, went back to working at his side, helping with whatever little tasks Derek assigned to him. Time flew by for her. She was confident that she would soon be seeing her Dad again, as the two of them happily sang chorus after chorus of "Hundred Bottles of Beer on the Wall," while going about their labors. The only thing that realy worried her was if she would ever see Kyle again, after they got rescued and she went back to Palmdale.

The next morning, inspector Davis and his group returned. They had found an additional fifty three survivors, but the shelter they had found them in had been designed and equipped for one hundred and fifty persons, giving them that much extra in the way of provisions. Davis and Derek decided, that a detail of men would start transferring the new found supplies back to the main shelter area in the morning, to prevent "hoarding" and ensure proper rationing. By way of the short wave radio set, they had managed to make contact with an Army officer, that had been stationed out at Ft. Irwin, Major Justin Perry.

Perry had reported that the brunt of the radioactive cloud, from the L A area, had passed by further to the south of them and that they were able to move about on the surface, with a minimum of protective gear. The Sky Net missile defense system, while failing miserably in defending the heavily populate areas of L. A. and San Diego, had appeared to have functioned flawlessly in defending neighboring China Lake and Edwards AFB. They had received no direct hits and all facilities, including Armitage air field up at Ridgecrest and the power generating stations at the Coso geothermal field, were one hundred percent intact and functional.

All news was not good however. While Edwards and China Lake had been spared any incoming missile attacks, there was something very strange going on out there. The T-70 Robotic Infantrymen, which they had been testing at Edwards; had, directly after the attack, proceeded to go around activating all other T-70's and T-1's in their stockpile, without any sort of programming to do so. The resulting robotic army had begun running amok, attacking all personnel stationed there, totally out of control. The same situation existed at China Lake, with the inclusion of several prototype unmanned aerial drones joining in on the carnage.

Perry and his men had been called to aid in containing the situation, just before they had contacted him. They would not be able to come to the L. A. area, to help with search and rescue operations at the present time. Even if the China Lake and Edwards situation had not existed, they still would not be able to come to their aid. The rad meter, that had been placed out side the day before, had shown the radiation level in L A to be much higher than anyone could have ever thought possible. Even with a full CBRN suit, it was determined that exposure to the outside would have to be limited to no more then fifteen minuets. The volunteer, that had set up the sensors and radio antenna, had been outside for over forty five minuets and was already showing signs of radiation poisoning.

Midway through the following day, an increasing amount of squabbles broke out. In light of the China Lake situation and radiation levels, it was becoming increasingly clear that they might have to stay underground for quite some time. Tension filled the air over concerns for their food and water supply. John and his men had not yet returned and Derek, inspector Davis, along with the two SEAL's were finding it increasingly difficult to maintain order.

Allison and Kyle, oblivious to the gravity of the situation, in their childlike innocence, had taken advantage of the lull in activity, caused by the food and water supply fears and were playing a game of "hop-scotch." Kyle had protested at first, saying it was a girls game. He had offered to teach Allison to play baseball, but after an unfruitful search to find something that would pass for a ball and bat, he conceded to her wishes. It was Allison that had first heard the sound. It was a banging on the doors leading to the outside and one thought came to her mind. She excitedly ran toward Derek, who was attempting to calm a group of people, while exclaiming….

….. "They're here!…they're here!"…..

She ran and squirmed through the legs of the disorderly mob to Derek, tugged on his pant leg while pointing back toward the blast doors, repeating….

….. "They're here!…. We can go home!… I can see my Dad!"…. She concluded while happily hopping up and down….

…. "Wait, calm down Guenn, who's here?"…. Derek inquired with a curious look, as he knelt down and held her by her shoulders….

….. "The rescue workers!… just like John said!…they're knocking on the door!"….. She exclaimed impatiently…

Derek furrowed his brow at her statement and thought….

…. _"Rescue workers, what's she talking about?"….._ He then remembered the earth quake story, John had told her and he had backed up. With a sigh, he shook his head slightly as he thought sadly….

…. _"Oh Hell…their going to have to be told the truth soon"…_

Derek decided, that as John told the story originally, it should be him to break the news, but went on to correct her as gently as he could….

…. "No, no Guenn…I don't think there's anyone out there yet"…..

…. "But there is so Derek.. I _heard _them… you need to answer the door!"…. she insisted..

Derek thought again, did Perry somehow manage to send some of his men down after all?…. Even if he did, with radiation levels what they were, they'd _already _be dead men, regardless of what kind of protective gear they might be wearing. Then again, perhaps the Army had developed some new type of protective suit, they hadn't told the public about. He let go of Allison while saying…

…. "Ok, ok… hang on a minuet"….. stood up briskly, while yelling out to the bickering crowd…

….. "Hey! hey!. .everybody!… just shut the fuck up for a minuet, Ok!…..

In shock, the crowd complied. It was not due so much to his sudden unexpected assertiveness, but rather the use of profanity by the normally soft spoken adolescent, that had stunned them into submission.

He listened, as the crowed looked at him in silent amazement. Sure enough, there was a slight but definite pounding coming from the opposite side of the heavy doors. It wasn't the sound of a company of soldiers beating with their rifle butts; it was too weak, but there none the less.

….. _"Oh my God!…. She's right, there's actually somebody out there!"…._ He thought to himself in disbelief. …Without a word, Derek shot his arms out in front of him, parting the mob and briskly jogged toward the metal doors, with Allison trailing along behind him.

…. "Hey!…what do ya think you're doin kid!"…. someone hollered out to Derek, as he fumbled with the door latches….

….. "Someone's out there!"….Derek yelled back, as he slid the last latch open…

….. "Help is here!…we can go home now!"… Allison piped up gleefully…

….. "Are you crazy!.. you can't go out there without a suit!"…. someone else frantically yelled out, ignoring Allison's comment…

….. "I'm not going out!.. I'm just gonna take a look!"… Derek explained while tugging on the heavy, lead lined door….

…. "Don't open the fuckin door!… that shit will get in here!"…another cried out frantically, while backing away….

…. "Then stay back!"….. Derek snapped back, as he grunted and pulled the door open a few feet…..

As the door parted, Allison shrieked in horror and covering her eyes. She peeked through her fingers, to glance again upon the form on the ground and the utter destruction, beyond in the distance.

She froze momentarily, while looking down at the creature sprawled out on the rubble. It was naked with black burned patterns all over what use to be skin, half of which was hanging off of white baked flesh, falling off the bones. There were no lips; they had been burned away, exposing its broken teeth and there was a portion of it's charred skull exposed, with a few long strands of scorched white gray hair hanging down from a burned and blistered bald head, coated in mud and grime. Where a nose should have been was just an open hole, between two milky white eyes staring up at Derek. It was reaching up to him with one weak, trembling, almost skeletal looking arm with bare blackened bone, extending from some of the finger tips and in a faint wheezy voice was calling out….

….. "Hjálpaðu mér … Hjálpaðu mér ... vinsamlegast hjálpa mér"… (Help me…. Help me… Please help me)…..

A sudden look of shocked recognition came over Derek's horrified face. Allison turned and ran off screaming toward the dark tunnel entrance, with tears pouring from her eyes, as Kyle chased after her.

Derek grimaced, while kneeling down to help the living corpse up and into the shelter. Just as he was about to grab hold of it, the crowd caught up to him. Three men shouldered the heavy doors shut, after a fourth kicked the wretched soul clear and deftly yanked Derek back inside by his collar.

It took four full grown men to restrain the adolescent as he struggled to break free while shouting….

…. "What the fuck's _wrong _with you people!…we _can't _leave her out there like that…let me _go_ damn it!"….. he shrieked while struggling with his captors.

Inspector Davis made his way through the crowd to him, gripped him firmly by the shoulders and shouted out….

….. "Derek!…Derek!.. Snap out of it!… Get ahold of your self!… _think_ for a minuet!… The rad meter's _pegged!…_It's over a thousand REM per hour out there!….

As badly disfigured and burned as the poor thing was, it had been almost impossible to even decipher it's gender. Derek had referred to it as a "she," however, so Davis continued on….

….. "She's _already _dead, ….or soon will be"…..

The police inspector paused for a moment, as he made out the faint pitiful screams and weak desperate banging, coming from beyond the door. He looked down to the floor and added a quiet solemn note…..

….. "Fortunately for her"….

….. "But she's alive _now!"…. _Derek countered, in a frantic voice…. "She's in terror, pain and all alone!…. How can you people be so _cold? _… _Nobody _deserves to die like _that!"…. _He implored, with a pleading look…

…. "Derek….Derek!, look"…. Davis went on sympathetically, while shaking his head and tightening the grip on his shoulder….

…. "You're right, she _doesn't_ deserve what happened to her, _nobody_ out there did, but there's absolutely _nothing_ we can do for her…_nothing_"…..

…. "We have morphine. We _can _make her comfortable. She can at least die with somebody at her side… with some _dignity_…not all alone like _that"…. _Derek cut in and argued, while pointing back to the doors the SEAL's were now guarding.

Davis went on compassionately …. "Connor put you in charge and I respect that. You've been doing a good job here, but you're _not _thinking now. She's _covered_ in mud and dirt, that's _glowing _with deadly radiation. If we _were_ to bring her in, we could be condemning _others_ to death by doing so and she'll be _lucky_ to survive a day or two anyway..… _maybe_ just hours"….

…. "Ya, while she drinks our water and eats our food in the meantime, I might add."…. a voice from the crowd curtly interjected….

Davis shot him a scathing glance, communicating non verbally to "shut the fuck up," while Derek piped up with….

… "She can have _my _food, drink _my_ water"…. he stated, while jabbing his thumb into his chest, then continued on in a pleading tone….

…. "Just give me a suit. I'll go out there. I'll scrub her up clean, wrap her in a sheet and carry her in."…. He hurriedly glanced around the room, saw an empty corner and continued on frantically…

…. "Over there!…I'll make her up a bed, she can have _my_ cot. _I'll _take care of her. Nobody else has to even come _close_ to her"….. He concluded, while giving the crowd an imploring look…

Davis just continued slowly shaking his head with a sad look and stated…..

…. "Derek, you don't know how much I wish I could help you…. help her, but we just _can't_ take the chance. If there was even the _slightest _possibility she might survive, then it would be different, but we simply can't take the risk on someone who's, for all practical purposes_, already _dead. It's a real _shitty_ deal… I _know_, but there's _nothing_ I or you can do about it"….

…. "But nobody but _me_ will be taking a chance!, I already said _I'll_ go out there_…. I'll _tend to her!"….. Derek emphatically explained….

… "Derek. Look, what about your kid brother and his little friend?… Their going to be _needing _you. _You_ don't have the luxury to put your self at risk like that. What would become of _them, _if something were to happen to you?… Ever think of _that?"…._

Derek sighed in resignation. He new the inspector was right and by the look of the two SEAL's standing guard at the door, with their arms crossed, it didn't look like _anyone _was going out there. He was about to make another plea, when Davis continued on with….

…. "I know it's hard kid and for what it's worth, we'll talk about this some more when John gets back. I'll go along with whatever he decides and I know they will too"…. He concluded while motioning toward the SEAL's with his head.

Before another word could be said by either, Jasper made his appearance and spouted off with a smirk…..

….. "Hey kid… she an old flame of your's or something?" … He slapped Derek on the back and continued on with a chuckle….

…. "Hell, there's pussy around here, don't worry about _her_. She might have been a hot piece of ass at _one time_, but she's a crispy critter _now. _That momma's boom boom days are _over!"…._

Derek had never been in a fight in his life; while he was never considered a "pansy" and had been an outstanding athlete, he had always tried to avoid such confrontations. He had always preferred to try and talk sense, rather than resort to physical violence. Jasper's comment, however, was a bit more than he could bear, especially under the existing circumstances.

An emotionally charged ball of anger and despair welled up in his throat, as he threw himself at Jasper and nobody made so much as an attempt to restrain him, _this_ time.

With tears in his eyes, he wildly swung both fists around in circles, while Jasper easily parried his attack and muttered teasingly….

….. "Well, another fuckin hero, I see"…..

He simultaneously produced his pistol and slapped it into Derek's temple, sending him half stunned to his knees. Before inspector Davis, or any of the surrounding crowd, could intervene on his behalf, however, a rifle butt cracked into the back of Jasper's skull. He flew face first, down onto the floor. In a daze he rolled over, bringing his gun to bear and attempted to stumble to his feet, when the muzzle of an M-16A4 jammed into his teeth, knocking his head back down onto the concrete.

….. "_Please!.. _don't drop that gun!… _please!.. _point that fuckin thing at me!"…. A voice snarled out, between clenched teeth, as the M-16's compensator liberated him of several teeth, while forcing it's way into his mouth, with a finger tightening up on the trigger.

.


	11. Ch10 The Aviatrix

**A/N.**

**1. **I promised that this chapter would explain Allison's dislike for Connor and how she ended working for a Death Valley Warlord. While the explanation of what started this attitude of hers towards him gets explained, her original move to Death Valley will have to wait till the next chapter, Due to the fact that this chapter turned out a lot longer than I anticipated. Even after I already split it up into two as it was. This will definitely happen come next update. It will be a major turning point in her life. Also the mysterious "Cameron" that she has referred to in past chapters will be unveiled.

**2. A word on Sarah Connor: …**

There is a part in this chapter that refers to John's Mother (Sarah), being a blond. This is because I always preferred Linda Hamilton's portrayal of Sarah Connor over Lena Headey's and that's who I envision when writing this. For all you Lena Headey fans, however, this one difference (hair color) will rarely be mentioned, so you can envision Sarah in these stories as Lena without any problem. All the other Characters from TSCC, Derek, CW, James Ellison, John, etc. and of course Cameron and Allison would be played by their respective actors and actresses. There will also be a new character in this chapter (Tammy Woodward) that would also be played by Ms. Glau… (See the next note)

While were on the subject of who would play who if this were an actual movie or TV series, I would also like to throw in that my original character, "Freyja Björnsdóttir," would be played by Sandahl Bergman, who played the part of Valeria in "Conan the Barbarian." That's who I envision, when I write about her. For those of you that may not know who she is or remember her (it is a rather old movie), do a search for… "Conan The Barbarian-Valeria Fan Tribute"…. for an awesome video of her in the role of Valeria. I might also add that Ms. Bergman trained for months in the art of swordsmanship, to be able to do all her own stunt work. Shame she never realy did much after that.

**3. New Character: ….**

There will be a new character coming into play in this chapter, a special girl John meets during his high school days in New Mexico. _What you say? no Cameron!…. _Tut tut!… remember, this is future John here. TSCC John won't come around until the 1st sequel to this story. Cameron doesn't come about till long after J-Day, but for all you Summer Glau fans, this girl he meets would also be played by Ms. Glau. _What the hell!…another Cameron/Allison clone!…. _Well I guess it just proves the old saying…. "History repeats it's self"… This will be pretty much a "one shot," however, as far as this character goes. Other than perhaps a passing reference or memory, she will not be seen again in the story, until the second sequel, that will take up after the final TSCC episode (Born to Run).

**4. Red Valley New Mexico:…**

Not to be confused with Red River New Mexico (an actual town in North Central Mexico). Red Valley does not exist as an actual town. There is, however, a Red Valley and it's just that, a valley and nothing more. It lays on the northern New Mexico - Arizona Border by Red Lake. The nearest actual town is Navajo New Mexico. According to TSCC, young John Connor spent a brief time in Red Valley, so for the sake of this story we will assume that that's where it is, just north of Navajo by Red Lake.

**5. US Hwy. 666**

This is, or was rather, an actual US Hwy. In New Mexico, it ran out of Colorado into Shiprock New Mexico and then southward into Gallup New Mexico, where it ended. In about 2003 it was renamed US Hwy. 491. The reason for the name change was due to people being afraid of the rather ominous looking number designation. It was nick named by some, back before the name change, as "The Devil's Highway."

Thought I'd throw that in, so when you see it you don't think that I'm using the term "Hwy 666" for some significant reason. It means nothing. It's just an attempt to be geographically accurate for the time period.

**6. Terms:**

**A…. FAR's … **Federal Aeronautical Regulations

**B…. ATP … **Airline Transport Pilot certification

**C…. Hundred Dollar Burger… **Slang term in aviation circles, refers to hopping

in a small plane and going to another airport

with a restaurant, for lunch, dinner, etc.

**D…. Yankin n' Bankin….**Slang term for performing aerobatic manuvers

**E…. "S" Turn… **In most tailwheel airplanes, while sitting on

the ground, the nose sticks up in the front of the

pilot blocking forward visibility. Taxiing is

accomplished be making a series of "S turns,"

to be able see ahead.

.

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to TSCC or are they my creation. **

**This work is strictly amateur (obviously) and I receive no compensation of any kind. The character of "Freyja Björnsdóttir", however is of my creation totally.**

* * *

.

**The Story of a Life**

**Chapter 10: The Aviatrix**

**.**

**April 24, 2011**

**Los Angeles, Ca.**

**1310 Hrs.**

.

A solitary beam of light swept back and forth through the darkness, ahead of a band of twenty five men and women, as they cautiously made their way through the subterranean passageways, toward the city and county building bomb shelters.

While the location of survivors, additional food and supplies had, at first, been foremost on his mind, in the previous three days, he had witnessed humanity at it's worse and had put locating and securing the police armory as his primary objective. The armory had been completely intact, with several LAPD officers guarding it, including three SWAT team members. They were, at first, rather reluctant to quit their post or to relinquish any weapons or ammunition. After a lengthy discussion and explanation by John and his group, however, on how the LAPD might not even exist anymore and their objectives towards unifying what survivors were left, they finally decided that they were "on the level." The supply of food and water in the armory had also been nearly exhausted and the remnants of the once large metropolitan police force, were not really in much of a bargaining position. With all considered, they too threw in with John and his companions.

They decided that the armory should remain under guard and that four of the police officers would remain. They would be relieved at the end of a twelve hour shift. They all further agreed that any more weapons, ordnance and ammunition, they might come upon, should also be turned in, to be issued only to those with proper training and whom John and his associates trusted. After selecting appropriate weaponry for himself and those among the group that he deemed competent in weapons handling, along with a three extra M-16's, a couple of SPAS-12 shotguns and Beretta 9mm sidearm's for the two SEAL's and inspector Davis, back at the main camp, they resumed their search.

John Reese's growing entourage had been quite successful, in locating additional stores of provisions, survivors, medical supplies and equipment, after the armory had been safely "locked down." Three other shelters had been discovered and armed guards placed over them, until such time that all existing food and supplies could be shuttled to a central location.

As they neared the main shelter area, he found himself experiencing mixed feelings. The China Lake and Edwards AFB situation was still unknown to him and as much as he had believed, at the time of the attack, that this was the beginning of what had been prophesied by his Mother and Uncle Bob, years ago, he was again starting to wonder.

According to his Mother, relating what she had _allegedly_ heard from his deceased Father from the future, this was all supposed to have happened about twenty five years ago. She had taken refuge in the remote jungles of Central America, at that time, to wait out the supposed forthcoming apocalypse.

It was there where he was born and spent the first seven to eight years of his life, amongst the gunrunners, various local warlords and paramilitary groups, that his mother had taken up with. When it _didn't_ come to pass, in 1986 as predicted, she started making raids back across the border, attacking any company or organization, terrorist style, that she even _suspected_ of being involved in any sort of research concerning "cybernetics." It was during one of those raids that they had been apprehended. After a quick trial, she had been committed to an institution for the criminally insane, while he was placed on probation in a foster home.

It was during the three years, that his mother had been confined to an insane asylum, that he started to have his doubts, as he bounced from foster home to foster home, with occasional stop offs at juvenile detention facilities. If not for him eventually crossing paths with another cyborg, whom he dubbed as "Uncle Bob," also supposedly sent back in time from the future, by his future self and the ensuing battle between his cyborg buddy and another, almost supernatural, shape shifting thing, he would have totally written his Mother off as a complete lunatic.

With the coming of Uncle Bob, however, his belief in his Mother's story was completely restored. After Bob had rescued him from the shape shifting Terminator, they proceeded to break his Mother out of the loony bin, destroy the Cyberdyne laboratories and ultimately the other Terminator as well. Uncle Bob had committed suicide in a vat of molten steel, to prevent any of his components from falling into the wrong hands. John and Sarah fled to Dejalo Mexico, to avoid the authorities, where they lived in relative peace for about a year and a half.

During his three year stay in the LA area, with court appointed guardians, John had always managed to have many "associates" and those that looked up to him, due to his rather colorful former life in Central America and little tricks he had learned for obtaining spending money. Out of all the kids that would hang out with him, however, there had never been any, that he could remember, that he actually considered a "friend."

For the first time in his life, in the little out of the way village of Dejalo, after his Mother had assumed that they had succeeded in preventing the coming war, or "Judgment Day," as she and Uncle Bob had referred to it, it looked as if that might change.

Sarah, for the first time, since her original encounter with a Terminator and meeting his Father, actually seemed to be trying to just relax and enjoy life, being a normal Mother. She had gone back to her old profession of being a waitress, at a local cafe and cantina. John had actually started making a few friends and particularly a cute, but rather wild young girl, Zella Aguilar, who's parents had relocated to Dejalo from Hermosillo, in an attempt to provide a better environment for their daughter.

His brief respite from "a life on the run" ended when his Mother's paranoia returned. She had become increasingly concerned about the new friends he was making, especially the girl from Hermosillo, of whom she never really approved. There had also been a local police officer, who frequented the cantina where she worked, that had started to take a social interest in her. After repeatedly turning down his "offers," he became angry and started making threats. He had maintained that the only reason a good looking American woman would be living in such an out of the way little village, as opposed to the more popular tourist destinations such as Acapulco, Mazatlán, Cancún, etc., would be because she might have something to hide. It might be in her best interest to "see his way," he suggested, lest he recommend to his superiors that they do some checking, with say Interpol, the American FBI, etc.

John was beside himself, when his Mother announced, one day, that they would be moving back to the more remote areas of Central America, immediately. It seemed to him, as if she simply didn't _want_ him to have any friends, other than _her. _When he reflected back on his life, he realized that the only_ other_ person he had any sort of bonding with, _other_ than his Mother, was in fact not _really _a person at all, but rather Uncle Bob the cyborg. As strange as it seemed, his deep friendship with a Terminator, the things that his Mother had been "hell on wheels about," also seemed to be the _only_ relationship she had ever even _remotely_ approved of.

They had left one of the countries top computer scientist, an LAPD helicopter pilot and a truck driver dead, in the wake of their assault on the Cyberdyne research facility. While they had not been the actual instruments of their deaths, he knew that a court of law would not see it that way; if the were apprehended. As much as he wanted to stay in Dejalo and was starting to feel as if his Mother was just becoming overly protective, he went along with her wishes, without a lot of argument. He was old enough now to realize that if she were to be recaptured, it would not just be a trip back to a psych ward for her. In all likelihood, it would mean the death penalty.

In Central America, Sarah found that her trade as a waitress was not all that much in demand and was finding it rather difficult to provide any sort of livelihood for her or young John, even by local standards. She had been economically forced to return to her more profitable occupations, of smuggling, gun running and training would be revolutionaries in guerilla warfare.

On Aug. 29, 1997, ironically the same day that Uncle Bob claimed that J-Day had occurred, Sarah and John had gotten caught up in an unsuccessful coup d'état, in some little banana republic. They had barely escaped with their lives, when the rebels jungle camp had been napalmed by loyalist forces, backed by the American CIA. It had been assumed and reported, that he and his Mother had perished in the ambush and there bodies burned beyond recognition. Sarah had taken the opportunity to change their name to "Reese" and fled to Panama City, where she secured employment at a popular American resort.

After about a year and a half, she figured that the infamous "Sarah Connor" had been pretty much universally accepted as dead and forgotten about. They both had a little chuckle, upon seeing an American tabloid, with the headlines reporting that Sarah Connor had been spotted in Rio de Janeiro, where she was dating Elvis Presley. It was about that time when she had met a vacationing American paramedic, Charles Dixon.

He had literally "swept her off her feet" and as far as John could recall, was the first guy she had ever met, after his Father, that she actually seemed to be in love with. As she was now convinced that the authorities and general public had more or less written Sarah and John _Connor_ off as dead, she accepted his invitation to return with him, on a cruse ship, back to the states and the little inconspicuous Midwestern town of North Fork, Nebraska and ultimately accepted his marriage proposal. Charley was also the first person other than his Mother, of _human_ persuasion anyway, that John felt any sort of bonding with and readily accepted him as a Father figure.

This little departure to what John, at the time, considered a "normal life" and the prospect of actually putting down roots somewhere, was all to short however. About six months latter, Sarah's nightmares returned. She announced to him that it was not safe and was time to move on…. again. He almost refused to go with her, as it had been nearly two years since the incident in Central America and their supposed deaths. John had managed to hack into an FBI database and had confirmed that their case had been officially closed, at the time of the failed revolution and that there was no reason to run anymore. While he had vehemently protested the sudden move behind Charlie's back, he again found himself on the road, to end up in the little Southwestern town of Red Valley, New Mexico. He hated it; Jocks, Cowboys, Rodeo Queens and Windows 3.0 computers.

Despite the town of Red Valley and Crestview High School being virtually in the stone age, there had been one very bright spot. He remembered it like it was yesterday, as his thoughts drifted back to yesteryear, while he lead his group back toward the main shelter and an uncertain future.

John had always, with the exception of the Mexican girl back in Dejalo, been attracted exclusively to blonds. He often wondered if he didn't have some sort of Oedipus Complex, his Mother being a blond and all, just another little thing to make him feel like a weird "freak" and doubt himself.

It was during the first day at his new school, when Tammy walked into his life. She was about two years older than John, and like himself, she was pretty much a loner. Also, like himself, she was a "new kid" in town, that didn't seem to fit in.

Instead of the standard cowboy boots, blue jeans and "sweetheart of the rodeo" shirts, worn by most of the local girls, she almost always wore rather loose fitting avant-garde dresses, sometimes with baggy oversized sweaters and seemed to prefer going barefoot, like a hippie, when not in school. While in school, in contrast to her very delicate looking attire, she wore these big black boots, with buckles running up the sides, that looked about two sizes too big for her. He wasn't sure if they should belong on a WW I aviator or a sixteenth century pirate captain, but even as she clomped around the school hallways in her oversized combat boots, her petite little form seemed to move with an almost ethereal grace and smoothness.

While she was not the hottest looking gal he had ever met, she was definitely a "looker." The cute way she carried herself and that innocent smile, that went right to the heart, more than made up for it. All said and done, she _was _hot. He had never felt more intrigued and attracted to anyone in his life and best of all, she was not a blonde; she was a brunette, relieving him of his unresolved Oedipus Complex fears. But there _was_ a problem.

Tammy was a senior, straight "A" student at that and he was but a lowly sophomore, doing his best to desperately cling to a "C" average. Regardless of the definite "oddness" about her, with her looks and obvious intelligence, he figured she could have her pick of the more popular seniors and more than likely, older college guys as well.

In the weeks that followed, He noticed that she generally ate her lunch alone and seemed to have little if any interest in guys, or being popular in general. John could never get up the nerve to even try to sit with her, much less strike up a conversation. He would just gaze at her from across the lunch room, as he nibbled at his peanut butter sandwich.

One day, one of John's classmates joined him at lunchtime. Upon noticing that John was staring at the new weird girl across the room, he informed him that he was wasting his time thinking about her. While he agreed with John that she was definitely good looking, he informed him that she was crazier than a "three headed snake." According to him, rumor had it that she had a very mysterious background, along with an older brother that she was having an "unnatural" relationship with.

The more John asked around about Tammy, the more bizarre the stories became. They ranged from her being everything from a stuck up rich kid to a modern day vampire. One girl even maintained that "ol' spooky," as they referred to her, was a member of some weird satanic cult, that met at midnight in the desert and sacrificed dead babies to their dark lord.

John was painfully aware of how the "rumor mill" could start up on kids that didn't fit in with the crowd and stuck to themselves. Although the brother thing bothered him slightly, he dismissed the rumors to being just that, malicious gossep and nothing more. As far as her having a mysterions past, what could be wierder than having a Father that technically wasn't even born yet?.. he mused to himself. He decided that he was just going to have to actually get to know her for himself. If nothing else, she didn't seem to be too popular, so at least he wouldn't have much compitition, he figured.

It came to pass one day, as he was gawking at Tammy during study hall and trying to get up the nerve to go over and introduce himself, that she looked up suddenly, locking eyes with him, in an unnerving way that seemed to go right to his soul. She calmly got up, gathered up her books and started toward him. The sudden chill that shot through him was relieved somewhat, when another student gave her a somewhat uncomplimentary glance in passing and she responded by simply turning momentarily to stick her tongue out at him, which he thought was kinda cute, in a spunky sort of way. She was quite unpopular and the butt of many jokes, but didn't seem to care in the least, which only went to enhance John's image of her.

When she arrived at John's table, he just stared at her standing before him, in a bulky red sweater with a pleasant coy smile directed at him. While his mind was racing as to what he should say, he also wondered _how anyone could believe the vicious stories about her_, as he continued to gaze speechlessly, at her sweet angelic face. Before he could even ask if she would like to sit down however, she stated with an exasperated sigh…..

….. "Because their a bunch of boobs"…. added …. "but you're different"….. Then went on to say….. "you were thinking on me… I'd love to ….why else would I have come over here?"…

His face went white, while she slid in to the chair across from him and he realized that she had answered a question, he had had, before he even asked it and actually never intended to, not to mention her knowing of his thoughts about her. He watched in awe, as she went about reading a history book, by merely glancing at a page for a few seconds then flipping to the next. As his composure returned, he sheepishly choked out…

….. "H.. h.. how did you know?"…..

At that, she looked up at him, as if she suddenly realized she might have said something wrong, with a slightly frightened look. After a few seconds, the look of fright melted away to a sly smile, while she explained mischievously…

….. "Feminine wiles"…..

…. "_Now ain't that the truth"…._John though to himself with a chuclke.

As they continued on in casual conversation, one thing became very clear to him. There was a lot more to this "little book" than was on the cover. He couldn't get over how innocent, childlike and naive she appeared to be, when it was becoming obvious that she was anything but. Her cute coy little smile and little girl laugh, when she could actually be quite outspoken. Her occasional aloofness, when she, at the head of the senior class or for the whole school actually, had in just a few moments, totally acceped and warmed up to _him_, an average to _below _average student, two years her junior and the son of a waitress, working in a cheap truck stop café, as an equill.

He didn't know if Tammy was the rich kid that most claimed, but he had learned from her that she did indeed have an older brother, that was her legal guardian. He spent most of his time in Albuquerque, where he was the chief surgon at a large hospital, along with having his own privet practice, so John figured they were pretty well off in any case. She explained how she had her own place, just ouside of town, that her brother had leased for her, as she hated big cities and was more comfortable living a secluded life, out here in the desert.

While the rumor he had heard about her and her brother, he had for the most part dismissed, it was still on his mind. As it was a rather common idea among the local kids, he didn't think much of it when she explained, again as if she could read his thoughts, that that was simply not the case. He learned that they were in fact very close, she was extremely proud of him and he was the most important person in the world to her, but reguardless of how much she loved him, he _was_ in fact a "boob" and she could never even _possibly_ consider him in that way, even if she _wasn't_ his sister.

She had more than a few odd quirks, was somewhat of a "space cadet," off in her own little world at times and was for _sure_ a bit spooky. Her past seemed to clouded in mystery and she seemed extremely uncomfortable talking about it. She had a little "tell" when the conversation started to get into forbidden territory, that John picked up on. Tammy would get a blank distant look on her face. If he didn't steer the conversation in a different direction, at that point, she would start babbling on about people with blue hands or other such gibberish. He soon realized that being with Tammy would be the farthest thing from normal one could ever hope get, but as he glanced around the room at the buffoons, that she had so accurately referred to as "boobs," flinging spit wads at each other, the ones who _were_ considered normal, he wondered if being normal was all it was cracked up to be.

Despite her many idiosyncrasies and possibly being a bit "off center," she had to be the sweetest most sincere girl he had ever known, not to mention smart as a whip. She might have a shady past she didn't want to discuss and it could well be she was a fugitive, but his own past was not exactly an open book to be discussed either. He had a doting over protective Mother while she had a similar situation, from what she explained, from her big brother. All said and done, like two peas in a pod, he mused to himself.

Right then and there he decided that he had to see her again. His mother had been working double shifts, in order to keep up with the rent and wouldn't be home till after midnight. Her brother was all the way over in Albuquerque, so he asked her if she might like to join him after school and maybe get a ice cream cone or something. She agreed to his offer with a beaming smile, but made him promise that he wouldn't get her an "Ice Planet," whatever that was. He made a mental note to avoid "Ice Planets" like the plague, if he should happen to see them on the menu. No sense in taking the chance of sending Tammy off on one of her weird little fits, on their first date.

The rest of the day drug buy and the hands on the clock seemed as if frozen still. All he could see was her beaming smile, that goofy oversized red sweater, with her little hands just peeking out from it's baggy selves and her frilly pink doll dress, sticking out the bottom. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the final bell rang. John rushed to his locker, threw his books in, slammed it shut and ran breathlessly out the front door and waited…..and waited…..and waited. After about forty five minuets, the parking lot was empty, save for an old beat to shit pick up, that didn't look as if it had ran in a month. The last of the students had drifted away and there he stood, like an idiot.

…. "Well John… she sure made an boob out of you"… he grumbled to himself…

…"Should have figured she was just playing some sick mind game with ya, like some hot chick, crazy or not, would really want to go out with a stupid kid two years younger than her."… he bitched to himself, while kicking a discarded Pepsi can across the parking lot.

…. "Guess they were right about her after all. She must have forgotten that this was her night to go out in the dessert and sacrifice goats or something, conjure up and have hot steamy sex with minions from the underworld."… he chuckled morosely, finding comfort in his attempted humor…

….. "Oh well"… he sighed… "might as well walk on down to the malt shop and see what the rest of the boobs are up to, like there's so much to do in this hick town. A thrilling evening of eating Moon Pies and playing pin ball." … he sarcastically commented to himself ….

…"_Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll have Ice Planets there. I'll buy a dozen or so and give them to her at lunch tomorrow. That will teach her to trifle with John Reese"….. _He thought to himself with a grin, as he plodded on toward the malt shope and pin ball arcade.

As the blaring sound of the malt shop's juke box drew closer, he thought he heard a slight rustling in the brush. The hairs stood up on the back of his neck, as he suddenly felt the sensation of being followed. He then noticed a wisp of brown hair, followed by Tammy's grinning face peeking out from behind an old cottonwood tree, as she sang out mischievously…

…. "She found you! she found you!"…and as she jumped out in front of him, twirled gaily around and stopped to face him, while playfully poking him in the chest, she reminded him with a knowing grin and child like sing song voice….

….. "Remember…no Ice Planets!…. You promised"…

At that statement, John suddenly realized that even though the vicious rumors about her being some sort of weird hoodoo girl were grossly exaggerated, they were most assuredly founded in fact. For the umpteenth time since he had known her, it had seemed as if she knew his very thoughts. He had never really believed in fortune tellers, crystal balls or any other sort of that mystical magical hocus pocus and he doubted _very _seriously that she _could_ actually read his mind. Never the less, she seemed _extremely_ intuitive and an excellent student of human nature. Her term of "feminine wiles" had to be the understatement of the century. She had most assuredly been "around the horn" a time or two and knew more than she let on. He figured her "loony girl" thing was just an act for something she was hiding and she just enjoyed playing games, with mere mortals like himself.

He was starting to feel just a bit unnerved with her whole attitude and was about to give her a big piece of his mind, especially the bit about leaving him holding the bag after school, like some sap at a "snipe hunt." Just as he was about to open his mouth, a rough sounding voice called out from behind them….. ..

….. "Well now… lookie lookie 'ere, couple o' love birds. Lookin about fer a little of 'e ol'goose n' duck this fine evenin, now awe ye mate?"…..

John whirled around, stepped in front of and whisked Tammy behind him, to stare into the learing face of Rodney Harris the skinhead, flanked by two of his young thugs.

Rodney was a twenty five year old bully that preferred to hang out with and be the head of a local gang, made up primarily of high school drop outs. Their specialty was breaking into cars and mobile homes for sterio equipment and TV sets, to pawn for drinking and drug money. The typical "big fish in a little pond." They also had a reputation for accosting young couples alone at night and "persuading" the girl to let them "have their way" with her, by promising not to beat her boyfriend to a pulp in return. He had been born and raised raised on the east side of London and was the wayward son and somewhat of an embarrassment, to a rather prominent English diplomat. His Father's influence was undoubtedly the reason he had avoided deportation, as rumor had it that he spent at least half his time behind bars. A fact that Rodney was actually proud of.

John had always been fairly good at working problems out with his fists, if it came down to it, but this could be real trouble. As he glanced over at Rodney's two "bodyguards," toying with bicycle chains and sadistic looking grins on their faces, he could tell that they were just a couple of punks. While they were slightly larger and a few years older, he figured he could fight them off with just a few bruises and maybe a bloody nose, worst case scenario, but Rodney, especially with two of his lackeys, would be a different case altogether. Despite Rodney's inability to keep pace with those of his own age group, he was still a very good sized boy and was regarded as a pretty rough customer. He was also known to have red pepper hidden away on him, that he would use to throw in the face of his opponents during or before a fight, to blind them.

Rodney continued running his mouth, with a smart-alecky sneer about what he did to "little boys" like John during his many stays in the "cross bar hotel," while defiantly rocking back and forth slightly on his heels, with his hands clasped behind his back.

John figured he had a handful of red pepper back there, or some sort of heavy "ugly stick," that he was getting ready to use, as his two buddies looked on with amused grins. If he had been by himself, he wouldn't have hesitated for a moment to lash out at him, regardless of the consequences, but with little Tammy trembling behind him, his mind was in chaos as of what to do.

She had pissed him off royally, but there was just something about her innocence, real or not and playful little smile when she had jumped out from behind the tree, that he just couldn't stay mad at her, no matter how hard he tried. Also, even if he still _was_ pissed, he _did _actually like her and even if he _didn't _particularly care for her, there was _no way _in _hell_ he could allow these three goons to harm her.

It seemed as if the talking phase of this encounter was quickly conning to an end and they would soon be making their demands. John had heard from some of his classmates that nobody had ever tried to stand up to this hooligan and that being the case, he figured that the element of surprise would be in his favor. Whatever the case, he knew time was running out and he had to act quickly. A quick swift kick to the nuts before he tackled him should do nicely, he figured. With his two pals, however, he was certain that his Mother would be picking him up from the ER in the morning, but was hoping that he could keep them busy long enough for Tammy to run to safety, at the crowded malt shop half a block away, _if_ she had the good sense to do so.

His suspicions about things coming to a head were soon confirmed, when Rodney paused from his monolog, with a curious look on his face, craned his neck slightly to stare down at the frightened girl, that John was shielding behind him, for a moment and came out with…..

….. " Ow'bout 'ew luv, ain't seen 'ew 'ear befowe, cat gawt ye tongue now dew'et? …. Ye bein' so quiet an' all… gawt mybe a little secwet to share wit ol' Wawdney ye do?"… Rodney inquired with a lecherous grin….

…_. "Oh shit! the bastard is making his move, it's now or never Johnny!… I pray to God she has enough sense to get the hell out of here"….. _John thought to himself, as his fists clenched and a little curl formed at the corner of his mouth, as he mentally prepared for his assault.

Before he could react, however, he felt a little hand brush along his side in passing, as Tammie casually walked around him to face Rodney. She glanced him up and down a bit, tossed her hear slightly and came back, a bit haughtily with….

…."Ya,… aye gawt me a secwet … gawt mowe 'an a few"…. she stated nonchalantly with a shrug of her shoulder and sly looking smirk.

A slight look of astonishment came over Rodney's face, as she reached out and snaped one of his red suspenders, giving him a pointed look while continuing….

…. "But ey's _secwets_….. So don't seem like that I'd tell'em to _yew_ now …_dew 'et!" _..…She stated emphatically, giving him a sassy look while leaning in with raised eyebrows, before continuing…..

….. "_Anyone_ fwom 'itechapel knows naugt to talk to _stwange's_, 'ey dew..…. Ye talkin' enough fow the _both of us _though, ….. _now ain't ye_"…..

The expression on Rodney's face went from astonishment to discomfort, as Tammy continued on, never breaking eye contact…

…. "Met me lawts'o blokes like yew,… 'ear 'n about" ….she stated with a shrug of her shoulders, as Rodney's eyes started darting around nervously…

….. "Skipt' off fwom ye mum a bit late?….. Spent a bit o' time in 'e ol' bucket'n pail ye did" … She inquired with a knowing look….. "But t'was _naugt_ like ye claim"…. she stated with a very intense stare and sly grin.

Rodney fidgeted nervously while attempting to speak, as it became clear what she was leading up to and wondered how she knew. Before he could respond, however she came right to the point…

…. "Styed in lockdown fow a bleedin fortnight ye did …. a'feared 'at big stick'o rock be 'untin ye ol' elephant 'n castle, methinks?"…

Rodney's face went white as his eyes darted back and forth to his henchmen. Realizing that everyone, with exception of him and the sassy little girl that was now eyeing him triumphantly, with her hands on her hips, were all Yanks and most likely didn't understand what she had implied, he breathed a slight sigh, albeit a bit nervous, of relief.

He forced an uncorforable smile to his face while taking a step backward. In an attempt to get the conversation away from a rather sensitive area, he inquired sheepishly….

… "Uh… noice to see someone fwom 'e auld neigbor'ood?"…

Tammy looked him up and down for a second unaprovingly. She tossed her head slightly and shrugged her shoulders, as she replied evenly…

… "Naugt weally"… She tossed her head again haughtily, let out a weary little sigh then went on….

…. "Blimey!, I'm _evea _so bow'ed, aye feel like some _exsoyt'ment!_"…and with that she spun around back toward the malt shop, offered John her arm and gurgled….

…. "Show a gull a good time luv?"….

John took her up on her offer and started back toward their original destination. He glanced back to Rodney and his crew, in wonder, as they argued and bickered amongst them selves with their arms flaying around, until they finally retreated into the darkness.

As they walked along ,arm in arm, he tried to comprehend what had just transpired. In a few moments he had watched, in awe, a potentially very threatening situation become totally defuse by the kooky little girl, gracefully walking at his side. A hard core gang leader, who had spent years in the "Big House," had been reduced to nothing and was sent whimpering away like a kicked dog, just by her words and piercing stare. Tammy, in the same time span, had transformed from a innocent child like little girl playing games to a scared trembling teenager, then to the likeness of a tough, street savvy, wonton little dockside trollop and back to the sweet teenager now beside him. It was as if another person, or soul, had actually taken control of her body, like she had an actual split personality, or maybe even multiple personalities.

… "_Hmm… maybe she is a bit psycho at that"… _he thought to himself, but what the hell, he often wondered about his own Mother's sanity at times, so this was really nothing new. Besides, sane or not, it sure seemed to work out for the best, he thought with a silent chuckle.

Granted, John was still a little apprehensive, but he knew now that he was starting to realy like and even admire her. It seemed that she was feeling the same way toward him as well and while a possible friendship and or relationship with little Tammy would be far from normal, it could prove to be quite interesting. Of that he was now convinced.

…. "_Screw trying to be normal"…_ He thought to himself

While he had never heard her speak in her thick cockney accent before, as she just had, he figured that her mysterious past was back in England. As smart as she seemed to be and as quick as she seemed to learn things, he figured that she had been able to quickly loose her accent and assimilate American English and slang, since she and her brother had immigrated.

Prying into her past, he knew, could prove to be a somewhat risky evdevor, but he just had to know. He didn't understand a lot of the obvious slang, she had used in her conversation with Rodney and wanted to know how she had managed to get the better of him… what had she said that made him turn white? Besides, she seemed now to be more calm and normal, normal for Tammy at least, than she had ever been, at this moment. He took a deep breath, swallowed and asked…

… "Hey… uh.. Tammy…uh, I don't mean to pry, but back there,with Rodney..How did you do that?" ….

She looked back at him with a carefree smile for a moment, as she let a giggly chuckle escape.

John let out a sigh of resignation, as he said…...

…. "Ya, right I forgot"… and the both said in unison

…. "Feminine wiles"….

…. "Well I can't argue with that"… John addmited with a chuckle…..

….. "But seriously, why was he so afraid of you, what did you say to him?" .. John asked again,

….. "She sees secret … haunts the beast"….Tammy replied airily…

John rolled his eyes, as he sighed in exasperation. He knew when she started talking like that, that he was getting into forbidden territory, but there was something different about her now. She seemed calm and relaxed with no sign of fear or paranoia. It was like she just got a kick out of playing her little games with him. He felt a bit irritated, but just didn't have it in his heart to get angry with her, like he had earlier. Still, if they were going to have any sort of relationship, they were simply going to have to come to some sort of an agreement.

….. "Tammy…look, I know how you can be and uh… how you are"…. John started in cautiously …. "But… I mean, I realy like you and all, but sometimes…"….

As if she knew exactally what he was thinking, she gave him a quick reassuring smile and cut him off before he could continue…

…. "Our dear friend Mr. Harris claims to be a hard core ex-con. It's his claim to fame. Truth be known, he's only spent two weeks in jail in his entire life, for drunk driving. When he first arrived in jail he had a rather large cell mate that, shall we say, had an _interest_ in him."…. she stated with an amused look..…. "Rodney complained to the jailer and they put him in protective custody by himself, for the entire time he was there so he could"…. she gazed upward for a moment searching for an appropriate euphemism.… "preserve his _virtue_, I guess you could say?"…. she finished with a slight giggle, then added…. "He doesn't want people to know"….

….. "No, I don't imagine he would"…. John replied with a chuckle after it had sunk in on what she was implying….

…. "So anyway, how do you know all this?"…. John inquired curiously … "You two grow up together?"….. he further inquired, thinking back to her former accent… "back in the old country… old friends maybe?"….. he cautiously asked, hoping she would say no…..

She just screwed up her face and gave him an incredulous look, for a moment.

John, on seeing her reaction and the so obvious non verbal communication, just mumbled in a relieved tone…

…. Well. I'm glad to see that"…

…. "Also"… she went on…. "His Father is not a diplomat, he was a drunken merchant seaman and died before he was born. He was raised by his Mother who was a whoring maid. He didn't leave home until she got tired of him sponging off her and kicked him out….. He was a momma's boy"….

…. "_Well now, doesn't that sound familiar?"…._He quipped to himself.. "_Never knew his Father, raised by his Mother….. Maid, wateriss, …not much difference…. a momma's boy…. What would she think of me if she actuall knew"…_.. He thought to himself despondently…..

Tammy stopped and stood in front of John. Taking his hand in hers, she looked straight into his eyes and stated….

…. "You're not like that John, you stay with you're Mother cause she needs you, you're all she has. You're Father died protecting you're Mother, he loved her. You're Mother may be a only a waitress, but she works her fingers the bone, to provide for you. She could do other things and do better, but she doesn't think it's a good life for you. You're much different John, … much different"….

John stood staring at her for a moment… stunned. After a moment he scratched the back of his neck and inquired, as they started again toward the malt shope…

…. "Hey Tammy, have you even considered joining a circus…maybe a carnival…be a fortune teller or something?"….

She looked back at him with a grin and just said….

….. "Feminine wiles John, feminine wiles"…..

He just sighed as they continued on their way. She had said things that only he or his Mother could possibly know, she knew things she couldn't possibly have known. He knew that finding out how she knew, from her, would be pointless. Like him, she had some big deep dark secret, about herself and her past and like she had told Rodney, probably "more than a few." Someday, he figure, she might clue him in, but until that day he would just have to accept the "feminine wiles" story. After all, he wasn't exactly "bearing his soul" to her about his actual past… like she would believe him even if he did. A Father that was a soldier from the future?….that wasn't even born yet?… hell, even he had a problem with that, truth be known. There was no way that her life story could be even close to something as bizarre as that. She'd think he was nuttier that she had ever hoped to be and drop him like a bad habit. He started thinking in terms of glass houses and people that like to throw stones and decided to let well enough alone. No sense in screwing up a good thing and she was definitely proving to be a good thing.

As they came to the entrance of the malt shope, Tammie gave an unholy glare at a sign on the door that read… "NO SHIRT, NO SHOES, NO SERVICE"…..while muttering something in a language he didn't recognize. She had discarded her boots long before she had caught up to John, in her impromptu game of "hide and seek."

After a brief temper tantrum, she calmed down and said she would actually prefer to sit outside on the patio, in the fresh air. John was concerned about her being outside alone while he went in to order, as a lot of the kids loitering around recognized her from school and were murmuring about her in little groups. She told him that he was acting like her brother and she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Remembering how she had handled the situation with Rodney and his gang, he realized she was probably right.

Tammy said she would like a sundae with strawberry ice-cream and Hodgeberry topping. He didn't know if they had Hodgeberry sauce or not, or if he had ever even heard of it. Perhaps some sort of berries that were exclusive to the British Isles, he figured. She said if that was the case apple sauce would be fine and if all failed she would settle for chocolate syrup.

As he went in to order, he noticed out of the corner of his eye, someone walk past her giving her a rather dirty look. He muttered something in passing, about what she was doing there and if she didn't have some cow innards, that needed to be sacrificed. There had been a recent outbreak of cattle mutilations in the surrounding area and it was the general consensus that "ol' spooky" and her cohorts, whoever they might be, had been responsible. John had been relieved to see her handle the situation in her usual style, of just returning the look and sticking her tongue out at him.

….. "_Quit a girl…. Yep…quit the girl"…_.. He thought to himself with a shake of his head and a silent chuckle.

The town of Red Valley, with the exception of the truck stop where John's Mother worked and a local honky tonk, pretty much "rolled up the streets" by about eight o' clock. John and Tammy laid on the grass together, out side of the malt shop long after it had closed and the little crowd of teenage loiterers had dispersed.

The hours slipped by as they talked about their dreams and ambitions. Tammy had even opened up enough to tell him a bit about her childhood, more than he had about his own actually. After all, there wasn't really that much for him to tell that she would believe. The part about him and his Mother hanging out with smugglers, gun runners, Central American revolutionaries and being wanted by the FBI, he figured best be left untold.

He gathered from what she had told him, that she and her brother had originally come from an extremely wealthy and influential family. She talked on and on about her brother and how close they had been since early childhood. While there were times she talked bad about him, refered to him as a "boob," etc. she actually loved him more than anyone in her life. She even related a story about how he had at one time sacrificed everything he had, including his reputation as a brilliant up and coming young surgeon and a very sizable family inheritance, to rescue her from some place, where she had gotten into some sort of jamb and had been held captive.

She never elaborated on the nature of her captivity, where it was or how she ended up there. It must have been a harrowing experience though, as whenever she started talking about it, while remaining more or less calm, she seemed to drift off to another world with a bit of stress and fear creeping into her voice. John felt proud as a bantam rooster when she admitted to him that he was the first person, aside from her brother and an adopted Father, that she had ever been able to even begin to talk to about this. She freely admitted that during her captivity something had happened that had effected her mentally, that she was in fact "not right" upstairs and probably never would be one hundred percent cured, but that she was five hundred percent better than right after she had been rescued.

John also noticed that Tammy seemed to carry a deep feeling of guilt, for all the pain and suffering she thought she had brought upon her brother, as a result of her involvement in whatever it was that lead up to her incarceration. Ending up here in New Mexico, though she claimed that it had been due to freak accident, was actually the best thing that had happened to her and her brother in many years. Here, she claimed, the chance of whoever it was that had been after her ever being able to get to them was so infinitesimally small that it wasn't even worth calculating. It was here that she and her brother could finally relax and pursue their life's ambitions. It was here that her brother, although still just a bit over protective, had finally realized that she was well enough to manage her own affairs, without him looking over her shoulder twenty four seven. He had proven that, by leasing her her own place out in the desert, hundreds of miles from Albuquerque, where he resided. She also felt a lot of the guilt she had carried over her brother's plight, that she blamed herself for, had been lifted, due to the fact that he no longer had to worry about her as much as he had and could get on with his life, professionally and personally.

The only real dark spot in her new life here, was the fact that two other people in her life, that she claimed she had been very close to, had been left behind. According to her, the chance of them ever being able to be reunited, was the same almost non existent odds of whoever it was that had been chasing them to find them. She seemed to show a deep regret over this, whenever she mentioned them. One had been her adopted Dad and the other her best friend, that had incidentally been her brothers girlfriend. Tammy seemed to carry a double load of regret over the latter, for as much as she _herself_ missed her, her brother had been heartbroken and was still to this day carrying a torch for her. She never said much about her real parents, so he assumed something had happened to them.

.John couldn't for the life of him figure out why she considered the possibility of seeing her friends again as a nearly non existent possibility and why this place was really all that much safer from the possibility of recapture than any _other _out of the way location on the planet. She just replied that; what would happen to her if she was recaptured was so terrifying that she just couldn't take the chance, _regardless_ of how small it might be, to reveal any more information than she had already. As far as her friends went, even if their was _no_ chance of recapture, she simply stated that he would _never_ believe her story and if he _did_ believe it, she would be the one that might well question _his _sanity.

After she had told him of her past, or as much as she seemed to dare to, John saw that there were some very similar aspects of their lives. They were obviously both fugitives and there was something that they were both deathly afraid of in there lives. In their pasts, they both had a secret so unbelievable that if they were to talk about it, they would get hauled away to a nut ward. They both had an over protective family member, him a Mother and her a brother. He would even be willing to bet his last penny that, even though she never mentioned anything about it, she was most likely running under an assumed identity as well. Like he had thought earlier that day…. "two peas in a pod."

He had only known her now for a little over two weeks, not even a full day when you consider that it was less than twenty four hours, since the first time he had actually spoken to her. It seemed as if she knew a lot more that she was letting on. She had an uncanny insight to things that only he and his Mother should be able to know. If it were anybody else, he would be somewhat suspicious and consider her a threat of some sort. Despite the brief time he had know her, however, he felt quite comfortable around this spooky little lady. He could tell somehow, that she would never do anything to bring harm upon him. His Mother however would not see her in the same light, she would have a cow. It would be best to keep this developing relationship a secret from her.

As they serenely lay together gazing up at the heavens, she would point out the distant stars and tell him their names. He found that she was able to name more than half the stars in the sky and even knew their distance from the earth, along with their star type, from main sequence to red giants, super giants, quasars and binary stars. He remarked on her extraordinary knowledge of the cosmos and she explained how she loved being "in the black," which she explained as being in outer space, after he became a bit confused as to what she was talking about. When he thought about it, he chuckled to himself a bit, as he couldn't imagine anything more appropriate that Tammy and "space." As much as he was starting to like her and as intelligent as she seemed to be, she was definitely "way out there." Also, just the silly way she talked about it, as if she had actually been there, he thought was kinda cute. After graduation she said that her plan was to enroll in college to attain the "required credentials," as she put it, to be accepted into the space program and become an astronaut. He admired her self confidence, as she never used phrases like, "try to," "hope to become" or "if I'm accepted," to her it seemed as if it were a certainty and judging by what he was learning about her, he could see no reason why it shouldn't be.

They had been talking and enjoying each others company for some time now and John had completely lost track of the time. He suddenly realized neither he nor Tammy had a wristwatch and was wondering how late it was getting….

…. "_Oh shit!"…_He exclaimed to himself…. "_If mom gets home and finds me out this late I'll never hear the end of it….if she finds out about Tammy she'll probably make us move again!"_

He sat up with a look of panic on his face, turned to Tammy and started in an urgent voice…

…. "Hey look, Tammy…. It's been great talking to you tonight.. I realy mean that… but…"….

Before he could continue however, she propped her head up, looked up to him while placing her other hand reassuringly on his and said….

….. "It's Ok…. We have time yet and yes…. it has"….

John looked at her curiously and inquired….

….. "Well how do you know?… you don't have a watch"…..

She just returned a pleasant smile, laid back, gazed up into the night sky, stretched her arms out over her head with a contented little sigh and explained….

….. "The stars John…. the stars tell her"…

…. " The stars?"…. He querried with a furrowed brow, as he glanced down at her contented smile and far away look in her eyes.

She laid there gazing to the heavens for a moment then sat up placing a hand on his shoulder. While pointing out the little dipper and various constelations she explained…..

…. "Yes John, the stars. Their always moving and that one"… she explained while pointing out the north star and little dipper …. "is like a clock in the sky that will give you an approximation"…. as she quickly pointed out others, she went on… "and if you know how, you can referance it with those and those, to get a very accurate reading. Right now it's ten fifty one. You're Mother's shift ends at midnight, it will take her approximatly fourteen minuets to get home. I have a pick up truck at the school parking lot and will give you a ride. It will take us seven minuets to walk back to school, five minuets at worst to start the truck….. It can be tempermental"….. she pointed out…. "and seven minuets to drive you home, so we have at least seven minuets, before we need to leave, in order to get you home thirty minuets prior to her arrival" …

John sat facing her with his jaw slightly agap. He didn't know what had astounded him more. The fact that he had never told her where his Mother worked, let alone her duty hours and the fact that she seemed to know anyway, her celesteral time telling ability or her lightning like mathematical calculations. He gawked in silence for a moment then replied….

….. "Uh… ya..Ok"…

He was starting to wonder why it was that the latest display of her abilities had even surprised him. From her you never knew what to expect and the unexpected should come as no surprise.

….. "_Hell if she were to tell me right now that she was a time traveler like Uncle Bob, I doubt it would shock me all that much"…. _He mused to himself…..

…. "Well I was gonna ask how ya did all that…..ya know, figured out my Moms schedule, knew where she worked and where we live, among other things, but I suppose It's just another case of "feminine wiles,"…. right?….. He postulated sarcastically, with a slight edge to his voice, then continued" …..

"and , according to you, if we leave right now, I'll get home thirty seven minuets before Mom does, so it might be best to be on our way. What if your old pal Rodney shows back up, maybe vandalizes your truck….ever think of that?… It doesn't ever hurt to prepare for the unexpected"….. With that he briskly arose and headed back toward the school, Tammy chasing after him, with a downcast look on her face.

As they briskly walked back th the school, Tammy stated weakly…..

…. "He won't be back tonight"…

…. "_Now why doesn't that little bit of information surprise me?"…._He thought to himself…

John knew that if looked at her, especially now at her sad downcast features, there was no way he could stay mad at her. He really liked her, there was no doubt about it. Before her last exhibition, he had even been thinking about asking her if she might want to get together over the weekend and do something. Sometimes though, she just made him feel so insignificant, by the way she seemed to flaunt her abilities, like she was just toying with him, she had to be taught a lesson. So without even looking at her, he simply responded dryly with…..

….. "Ya, I'm sure you're right"….

When they arrived back at the student parking lot, he noticed she was leading him toward the old clunker he had seen earlier, when he thought she had stood him up. He glanced at the strip of red duct tape stretched over a busted taillight, the dented rust ravaged bed and wondered why, if her brother was this big hot shot doctor, why he couldn't get her a better set of wheels. Didn't doctors and lawyers drive Porsches, Mercedes or at lest new top of the line SUVs? If he thought so much of his kid sister, you would think she would have a new Hyundai or something, at the very least. Perhaps she was bullshiting him on the doctor brother deal and the big heroic rescue. Maybe she was just like him, on the run with a family, perhaps from creditors, just barely getting by. Maybe she was just living in a fantasy, her way of coping with a totally screwed up childhood, Just like his.

They remined in silence as they climbed into the cab, the only sound being the squeaks and groans, of the ancient doors protesting being opened. After several unsuccessful attempts, the engine very reluctantly sputtered to life, spewing a thick cloud of smoke into the night air, accompanied by a sharp squeel with a very ominous clanking sound in the background, coming from under the hood. She flicked a switch and a pale yellowish glow tried it's best to illuminate the darkness ahead of them. With a sound reminiscent of old man Jenkins, the school janitor, clearing his throat, she ground it into gear and they went squeaking, sputtering and wheezing out of the lot and down the road.

They pulled up in front of John's house and he was relieved to see, as she had predicted, that his Mother was not yet home. He glance over at Tammy, sitting in silence behind the wheel, with the pale glow from the one working dashboard light reflecting off a sad, dejected looking face. He felt like a total ass, sure her weird habits were a bit unnerving, to say the least, but she was just being herself. She had seemed so happy and innocent, before he had decided to prove some asinine point to her. Worst of it was, he realy did want to see her again and doubted quite seriously, after his little juvenile display, if she would even want to talk to him now, let alone consider a second date.

…. _"Well John, you sure blew this all to hell, now didn't ya… way to go"…. _He glumly thought to himself.

He figured an apology was in order, at least and he was trying to get up the nerve to do so, but every time he tried his mouth went dry, so he figured he would just say good by and sleep on it. Perhaps come Monday, he could muster up the courage during lunch break, or study hall and attempt to get back into her good graces. He reached for the door handle and was about to bid her goodnight, when just above the din of clattering valve tappets, in a sad voice, while staring down at the dim dash light, she broke the ice and said…..

…. "You don't like me"…..

The words went right to his heart, as he released his grip on the door handle. Turning slightly back towards her, he took in her petite forlorn looking form, barely visible in the dim flickering light, staring straight ahead, as if someone had just eaten her cat and thought to himself…

….. "_That's ridicules!, if she only knew!… how I feel about her. I guess her 'feminine wiles' went out to lunch or something…..maybe I'll get a second chance here hopefully….. _

He didn't notice the slight little smile come over her face, in the dimly lit, musty smelling cab. He sat looking at her for a moment, then started in nervously….

….. "Tammy….. It's not that… I mean… well sometimes"….

… "_Oh come on John, just spit it out!…ya got another chance with her now, don't screw it up!… forget the explanations.. just say it"….._He thought to himself and finally came out with….

….. " I'm sorry Tammy, I shouldn't have acted like that, you were just being your self and if I want yo… I mean ..well.. I just have to accept that"…..

Tammy had run into this problem before, in her former life. Before she and her brother decided, that for the safety of all concerned, they needed to part company from their former associates. She had lived in rather close quarters with the other people in her former life and was continually bombarded with their thoughts, working their way into her mind. She had found that they, for the most part, didn't appreciate her invading their private thoughts. While she was starting to make progress in being able to "shut out" the voices coming out of their heads, she was never able to tune them out completely. However she found that things worked out much smoother for her and the others buy simply ignoring the thoughts that did get through and responding to them as if she didn't actually know. When her and her brother arrived here in this new world for a new start, she had fallen in love with the seclusion and tranquility of the southwestern desert. A peaceful respite from the constant chaos from the thoughts of others. Due to this fact, she had been making tremendous progress in her road back to sanity and her brother even agreed to let her live on her own in seclusion , away from the big city crowds, as a result.

The subject matter taught at school was of little interest or importance to her and bored her silly. She could easily have passed the entrance exams to any college or university she might choose, to attain the required educational background to be able to get into the NASA space program. Her brother, however, decided that that might attract too much unwanted attention, so he enrolled her in the local high school, to just "go through the motions." Besides, her brother reminded her, that they were in a totally new foreign culture and environment and a little socialization might be a good idea, to be able to fit in inconspicuously.

In her life of seclusion, she had more or less "lowered her guard," in respect to other peoples thoughts and her reaction to them. At her new school there was nobody that had caught her interest or she even cared to get to know, until John came along that is. She had been dealing with her old problem by simply avoiding others, as best she could.

Tammy was a full twenty years old. Her brother had managed to produce false documentation of her age, saying she was only eighteen, to get her enrolled in high school, without attracting too much attention. She was a young woman, but had never had a boyfriend in her _life_ and only five others that she had actually considered friends, other than her brother.

Circumstances, in her former life, had been such that nature never really had the chance to take it's course in such matters. After three to four years of incarceration, her and her brother had found refuge among a small band of outlaw types and had little if any social contact out side the group. Tammy, at the time, had been in a mental state that ruled out any sort of romantic involvement and even if she _had_ been mentally stable, other than her brother, there were only three other members of the opposite sex within the group. One, while she eventually became quite close to, had been much too old for her and she accepted him more or less as an adopted Father, not to mention he had his own romantic interest. Another, while slightly younger, was happily married to one of the female members of their group and ended up getting killed anyway. The third had been the groups crude, rough and tough enforcer. He hated her and considered her as a total psychotic that was a danger to them all. He even, at one point, attempted to sell her out to her enemies for a reward. Thinking back to the time, however, she didn't hold it against him, as she did slice him up pretty good with a butcher knife, during one of her psychotic outbursts. After a particularly "ugly incident," however, in which the married one had gotten killed, she had managed to literally "save their bacon," from a unspeakable fate. After that time, he had "buried the hatchet" over the stabbing incident, gained a great deal of respect and even a bit of admiration for her. They were different as nigh and day but in many respects very similar and had eventually developed a very good working relationship with each other. As he was also a tad old for her and still a bit leery that she could relapse to her former psychosis, which she never did, nothing ever developed there either, but they did become fairly good friends and a good two person team, during the groups many exploits after that.

Up until meeting John, there was nobody at her school that she really had much use for and actually enjoyed using her intuitive abilities to freak them out. It was a bad habit and she knew that she'd been doing it to John as well. He was different than the rest, he reminded her a lot of her adopted Father, that she had been very close to.

While she generally looked down on her classmates, she had noticed young couples together, how happy they looked and deep inside, while she would never show or admit it, how lonely she actually was. There had never, up to now, been anyone she could consider for that role, however. .

She knew everything he wanted to say to her, exactly what he thought of her, but refrained on making comments. He wasn't like the rest. She didn't want to alienate him any farther than she already had, besides, she thought it would be nice to hear him say it on his own.

After John had finished making his apology, he sat there for a moment looking all "hang dog." She turned to face him and corrected….

…. "No, you were right, I've been playing games with you….. You're not like the rest of those boobs at school…. I shouldn't do that…. I'm sorry..It's hard for me, but I'll try not to do that with you in the future."….

…. _"In the future?….. Did she just say in the future?…. as in seeing me again?"_…..he thought to himself in shocked relief…

…_. _"No Tammy, you were just being your self and I was being childish. You don't need to apologize." …. he thought for a moment and clarified…. "but maybe we can both work on things."….

She just gave him a warm smile and said….

…. "Sounds like a plan"….

He nodded in agreement with a smile, said goodnight and was about to head into the house. He thought about her refering to "the future," as far as she and him were concerned and turned back to her. Somewhat nervously he asked…..

….. "Uhh … Tammy, you said something about "with me in the future"… does that mean that you…. Well that… uhh well… you might want for us to get together again sometime?"…

She gave him a warm reassuring smile and simply said ….

….. "What do you think?"…..

Her smile increased and she quickly leaned over and gave him a quick little kiss.

John wasn't exactly sure on how to react, he'd never expected that. The only thing he knew was that he was pretty certain that he was forgiven and it was highly probable that she liked him.

….. "I guess that means yes?."….. he inquired with a chuckel…

….. "That's what it means"…. she replied in a cheerfull sing song voice…

….. "Ok, so think maybe we could do something this weekend?…. Like say Sunday… Mom's day off is tomorrow and she doesn't like me hanging out with kids she don't know"… He paused for a minuet in thought…. "Well actually she does't like me hanging out with anybody, except her."….. he clarified with a sigh of exasperation…..

….. "Sounds a lot like my brother."…. she commented lightheartedly….

….. "Sounds like we my have a few things in common"…. he responded with a chuckle…

….. "More than you think."…. she added with a far away look…

John got an erie feeling from her comment and a little frown started to form. Tammy picked up on it and responded hastily in a very concerned tone, while placing her hand on his….

…. "Oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. I promised you I'd try not to but…" …

John's frown melted away by her touch and the slightly frightened tone in her voice. He reassured her….

….. " Aw, it's Ok… that's just Tammy being Tammy."…. they exchanged a smile and he remembered what he was meaning to ask her…

"So anyway, so what about Sunday?… Think maybe we can go do something, something simple, like maybe just a hike in the desert?…. I don't have much money"….. he added with an embarrassed look…..

"Well I don't know John"…. she started in, with a somber look…. "I have something I like to do on Sundays, down in Gallup"…..

…._ "Great… knew it was too good to be true…..No money, so already gettin the brush off"….._ He thought to himself grimly, while looking down to the floorboard….

But Tammy, on noticing his sudden change in demeanor, quickly piped up excitedly….

…. "But you can come with me!"…. and added…. "Ya, I'd like that…come on it will be fun!"…..

John perked back up and said…

"Sure, that would be great!" … then added with a slightly embarrassed chuckle … "I've never been to Gallup and like I said… I don't have much money"….

"That's Ok, you won't need any. I got money."

John felt a little creepy at the at the idea of letting a girl pay his way, but before he could say anything, Tammy chirped reassuringly with….

"It's Ok, you can treat me to something when you can. I don't have much else to spend it on and I'd really like you to come with me…just spend the day together.. that Ok?"….

John thought for a moment as she stared at him with slightly pleading eyes while squeezing his hand tightly. He shrugged his shoulders slightly with a slight grin and said…

….. "Well seeing as how ya put it like that… sure, I'll go with ya, just as long as we can wait till after Mom goes to work and I can get back before say eleven o' clock?…. Just to be on the safe side."

…. "Shiney!"… she exclaimed, then as a slightly scared look came over her for a second, corrected…

…. "Err… Great!… say about eight o' clock? then?"…. She beamed…

…. "Ya sure"… he assured her, then with a slightly amused look, punctuated with a little bewilderment, he inquired….

…."Shiney?"….

…. "Oh I was just thinking about something else, you know…Freudian slip…it's irrelevant."…. she explained

John shrugged it off and said…

…. "Then I'll see ya day after tomorrow I guess."….

…. "Bright and early."…. she assured him with an excited smile….

He was about to step out of her truck, when he thought of something….

….. "You said we'll be going all the way to Gallup?"…

….. "Well ya…. Will that be problematic for you?"…. she asked, with a concerned look..

….. "Oh no!..not at all."…he assured her…

….. "But you know I don't have a car, or even a license actually."…. he added… "and… well.. Tammy, look… I mean… I don't want to hurt your feelings, but do you really think this truck will make it there and back?"…. He queried apprehensively, as the pungent aroma of an overheating radiator assailed his nostrils…

….. "No, it won't, but I have another car that will."….. she assured him nonchalantly ….

….. "Ok..then I'll see ya then!"…. as he stepped out slamming the door several times, until it finally latched.

He bent down slightly and peeked in through the hazey cracked side window and took one last look at her petite little form, silhouetted in the dim dash light, grinding the protesting shift lever. After several attempts, it fell into gear with a loud dull, metallic clunk. They gave each other a final parting wave and the truck went squeeking and groaning away into the night. He watched untill the one working taillight disappeared, into the thick clouds of smoke.

…_.. "Quite a day!….quit a day! All in one day; you talked to that cute little girl you've been checking out for the last two weeks, for the first time. You had you're first date with her, you're first fight, you're first kiss and make up, made you're next date with her and she really likes you. Yep… it's been quite a day Johnny…. How can it get any better?"…. _He thought to himself as he headed into the house.

* * *

The next day was typical of Sarah's day off, pancakes for breakfast, peanut butter sandwicthes for lunch and a burnt roast for supper. While his Mother tended to smother him with her overbearing, paranoid protectiveness they allways had a good time on her day off. He may have bitched about her to no end, but they were actually quite close. They played a few games of chess before bedtime and she swore he was letting her win, both games, but that was not the case. He simply couldn't keep his mind on the game. All he could think of was that sweet but odd little girl, he would soon be seeing again.

The next morning Sarah had overslept and was running late…. as usual. She threw a plate of crisp blackened pancakes on the table in front of John, gave him a quick kiss on the top of his head and dashed out the door. He picked at his breakfast, but even if the pancakes were done to perfection, the knots in his stomach would have prevented him from eating. He was wondering what it was that she had to do in Gallup, but figured he'd find out soon enough. Whatever it was, knowing her, it would be anything but normal. The fact that she was so different…abnormal, was actually one of the things, he was finding, that he really liked about her. All his life he just wanted to be normal…. Now he wasn't so sure. He just hoped that she wouldn't play one of her "I bet you thought I stood you up" games, like she had on their first date.

At eight o' clock on the dot, he thought he heard a distant noise. It gradually increased and became a loud howling roar, then smoothly decreased, to a deep throated rumble out in the street in front of the house. A moment latter there was a slight tapping on the door and when he answered it, there she stood. He gawked at her for a moment, standing there barefooted, in a pair of black spandex shorts, going half way to her knees, a loose fitting, filmy looking bright multi colored blouse, with a pair of big black goofy looking goggles, up on her forehead and the shiny dark blue AC Shelby Cobra, with a white stripe running down it's center and low cut down windshield, rumbling away out by the curb.

John shook his head slightly, as he silently chuckled…..

…_.. "Yep, full of suprises, that's for sure. I got a feeling this will be an interesting day!"…._

…. "You ready!"…. she piped up…. "Wer're going for a ride!"…

He grabbed his jacket and followed her out the door. She hopped in behind the wheel and adjusted her goggles, as he took his place in the passenger seat. He came to the conclusion that her brother was _indeed_ a big shot doctor and they were most likely not being pursued by bill collectors after all. As she whipped around and headed for the highway, he inquired, while glancing around the car approvingly…..

….. "So this is you're other car?"….

….. "Yes, …it was my brother's."….. she replied while turning onto Route 12.… "He was getting too many tickets, so he bought something more doctorish and let me have this one." …. she explained, while going through the gears and blasting southbound…

…_.. "Hmm, more 'doctorish' she says."….. _he thought to himself with a slight grin…. _"Probably something more conservative, like say a Porsche or Mercedes, maybe just a mere Cadillac"…_

John laid his head back against the rest, with the wind whistling by and the big Ford 428, thundering under the hood. He gazed over at Tammy, intently staring down the highway, through her funny looking big black goggles and her brown hair whipping in the wind.

…. "_Well I guess having a rich girlfriend could have it's perks."….. _He thought to himself with a contented smile forming on his face.

Before he knew it, they were at Window Rock. She eased off the gas with the exhaust crackling crisply out the side pipes, as she made a smooth but rapid sweeping left turn onto Hwy 264 and roared eastbound.

As John had but touched his breakfast, his stomach started growling as they flew past the little settlement of Rock Springs….

….. "Hey Tammy! think we could stop at the next town for a minuet…grab something to munch on!"… he shouted over the wind and snarling exhaust…

….. "You should wait till latter!"….. She shouted back, without looking away from the roadway

… "_Oh well_"….. he thought to himself… _"She's paying for everything, so I guess I shouldn't bitch ….. hell I'd even have to bum a few bucks off her to get something, so it's just as well I suppose…still, a bag of those crunchy cheese things would sure go good, right about now."….._

As they approached the junction of Hwy 264 and US 666, she backed off the throttle, pulled into the gravel lot at Yah-Ta-Hey, set the brake, hopped up over the door and headed toward the store.

….. "Hey! Where ya goin, why'd we stop!"…. He hollered after her…

….. "Watch the car, I'll be right back!"…. She shouted back, while continuing on….

…_.. "Hmm… female issues I guess."… _He speculated, as groups of Indians started gathering around, half checking out Tammy while the rest checked out the car, rumbling in the lot.

When she returned, she tossed him a little sack of crunchy cheese chips, from out side the car and stated with a pleasant little smile…..

….. "For you."….. then added….. "You don't have to 'bum' money from me, I'll get you what you need. If you want to pay me back, you can come over to my house and tune up my car here, I know you like that kind of thing, but you don't have to."…

…. "_How did she know I liked cheese chips? How did she know I liked to tinker with mechanical stuff?….. Damn her, she's doing it again!"….._

But before his anger could make another outburst he would regret, another part of his mind spoke up….

…. "_Ok John…Ya… sure.. she's using the ol' feminine wiles again…. So what? She knows what you want and gets it for you before you can even ask?….right?…. She obviously really likes you, She's good looking, seems to have a fair about of money and is willing to let you work off any debts, you think you may have to her, by working on this car you've been drooling over…. something you'd be more than willing to do for nothing, right? ….she's not actually playing games with you, she's just being nice, Ya know … you could do worse,…. even if she is a little weird at times"…._

As he looked at the angelic goggled face staring back at him, his anger disappeared, as if by sorcery. He inquired….

"So you want me to come over to your place some time and help you work on this car?"…..

…"If you want to." she replied…..

… "Well Ok…so like maybe sometime after school next week or something"… He inquired with raised eyebrows…..

….. "Sounds like a plan."… she replied sweetly…

….. "I guess that could be our next date then?"….. He inquired with a slight shoulder shrug and grin.

… "Yes, it could."….she replied thoughtfull….

… "Can you cook?"…..he asked

… "I can."…. she responded, with a proud look…

John relaxed back into his seat, with vibration from the idling rumbling engine massaging his back. A contented smile came to his face, as he lazily munched on a chip and contemplated….

….. "_Well I got a girlfriend that knows what I want before I even ask,… she's rich,… she invited me over to her place, where she lives by herself,…. has a car that's as hot as she looks and she can cook!… who cares if she's a little crazy."….. _He rethought his final thought and corrected…..

….. _"No, she's rich… she's not crazy, she's eccentric."….._

He realized that Tammy had still not returned to the drivers seat. He sat up looking around, …. She was gone. He raised up farther with a start, then noticed her bent over with her hands clasped behind her back, intently contemplating the dirt. Raising up further, he sat back on the deck behind his seat and watched her with a puzzled look for awhile, then inquired curiously..…

…_.. _"Tammy..uhh….what are you _doing?"….._

Without looking up she just replied distantly …

….. "Threre's no pattern to the granules here, There completely random…. Entropy."….

….. "Uhh…ya..Ok."….. John responded quietly, while rubbing the back of his neck.

…. "_Well I see she's easily entertained, guess she'd be a cheap date too…. Another plus for her I guess."….. _he thought with a slight chuckle…. _"Eccentric."…._

….. "So anyway, aren't we suppose to be going to Gallup?"… he asked as he watched her continue scrutinizing the ground in front of her….

….. "You're eating….. You could swallow a bug."….. She replied airily, while slowly arising with a handful of dirt and watching it trail through her fingers, with a fascinated look.

John rolled his eyes at her response. Slid back down into his seat and said with an amused chuckle, while shaking his head slightly…

…. "Well now, that's real thoughtful of you, but I'll take my chances."…..

A moment latter she hopped back into her seat, slipped it in gear and they tore off down US 666.

As they entered Gallup, Tammy backed off the gas and heared west on the frontage road along I-40. They cruzed along at a leisurly pace, the engine sound reduced to a deep purring rumble. John thought for a moment, turned to Tammy and asked…..

….. "So if this is you're car, why do you drive that other….. _thing_…to school, if you were to drive this rig, you'd be the most popular girl in town, I'd say."….. He concluded with a chuckle.

….. "Yes, I would… Don't want that….. Too much attention."….. She responded distantly ..…

John just shook his head slightly in understanding, he knew all to well that frame of mind.

While looking straight ahead, with a distant look, Tammy muttered, just loud enough to hear….

….. "Hands of Blue."….

He had heard her say that before and had not a clue as to what it meant. He figured he probably never would. He just wrote it off as one of her strange little eccentricities, that he actually found somewhat adorable about her. He wanted to ask her sometime about what it was she seemed so afraid of at times, who it was that she was hiding from and better details on where it was that she had been imprisoned at and why. He also could tell, that while she really seemed to like him and loved being with him, if he were to announce one day that he didn't want to see her anymore, or if she thought it would be in her best interest not to, then she would not shed a tear, like most girls would. She would not be happy, he was sure of that, but she would just go her way, in her own little world and not look back. Under her delicate looks, her innocent sweet little girl facade, she was tough and he admired that, just like his mother. He was also realizing that he didn't want to loose her, she was like nobody he had ever met, she filled an empty spot in his empty life. Her past was her business. Someday she might share it with him, or maybe she never would. He would just have to accept her at face value.

She pulled up to the gate, at Gallup Municipal Airport, got out, opened the trunk, pulled out two backpacks and tossed one to him, whilst keeping one for herself.

….. "What's this, we going for hike or something?"….

He couldn't figure why they would come all the way to Gallup to go hiking, after all there were plenty of places to explore back home.

…. "No, it's a parachute."…. she stated flatly

…. "A parachute!"… he exclaimed…

John had seen an ad on TV about a place down here in Gallup, that would take you up for parachute jumps, or just different types of airplane rides and figured that that's what she had planed.

…. "Hey Tammy, look.. I've never parachuted before and ..well …I don't know if this would be a good…"… he started in quite nervously, as Tammy cut him off….

…. "Neither have I, but there's a first time for everything."…. She stated merrily, while leading him across the ramp toward a group of hangers…

John was more than a bit edgy, but he didn't want to look like a wuss in front of her, so he went along hoping he could talk her into going to do something else, like maybe a movie or something. Before he could come up with an idea, however, she continued…..

…. "But that's not plan "A"… the FARs require that both pilot and passengers wear an approved parachute, during aerobatic flight.

…. "Aerobatic,?…you mean like loopty loops and stuff like that?"…. he inquired…

…. "That's the plan."….. she responded, in a lighthearted sing song voice….

John was greatly relieved, that he wasn't going to have to jump out of a perfectly good airplane, to save face with his crazy girlfriend. While he still felt more that a bit "rubber legged," the idea of going up with one of the guys here for a plane ride was actually starting to sound like fun, plus,… she was buying.

…. "_Never a dull moment with ol' Tammy."…_He thought to himself with a chuckle… _"_Sure_, I'll go along with her on this, might be fun and it looks like she's realy excited about it. I'm sure the law wouldn't let these guys do this, if they didn't know what they were doing, so sure,…. why not?… Tammy even has her own parachutes, to make sure we have good ones,… just in case… smart girl."…._

As she walked up to the side door of a hanger fumbling around for keys, John glanced around wondering where the other customers were, where they would get their tickets, etc. He was also wondering why she was opening a door, that didn't look very public and even had the words… "Authorized Personnel Only" … stenciled on it, in big black block letters.

….. "Uhh are we suppose to be here?… where are all the other people?…. Don't we have to get tickets?"…He queried, a bit of nervousness creeping back into his voice…

…. "It's just us."…she stated, as she opened the door, hit a red button on the wall, retracting the main bay door up into the roof, accompanied by a loud clanking sound.

And she added…..

…. "It's my hanger, my brother leases it for me."… while walking toward a rather racy looking bright red and yellow biplane, with a bubble canopy and the words… _"Lil Albatross_"…painter on the nose, in black ornate flowing lettering…

A sickening feeling came over John as she set her chute down, stepped up onto the lower wing, flipped the canopy open, noting the position of the master and magneto switches and leaned in pulling the lap belt free from the control stick.

It was all to clear now why there were no other people around and especially where and who the pilot was, as he watched her hop down and begin slowly walking around the plane, twanging guy wires and working ailerons up and down with her little hands.

John really liked her and while she was for sure just a bit crazy at times and not all there, he could deal with it and trusted her….to a point. It was one thing to trust her with his life while blasting down back roads in a high powered sports car, but in an airplane?….

Granted, she _had_ seemed to have done a complete personality change, since arriving at the airport and seemed now to be no different than any other eighteen year old girl, as he watched her work the rudder around, giving it a critical eye, but how long would _that _last? Would she suddenly "space out" in mid flight and decide to do an extensive inspection of a piece of lint on her blouse? Would she go into a trance, mumbling about those blue handed people?

Perhaps he could claim that the cheese chips had not agreed with him and feign being ill. She could go up and have her fun, while he watched…. safely… from the ground.

Tammy suddenly turned to face him, with that "spooky" look returning and stated….

…. "You're not sick John."….

….. _"Well so much for normalcy"…._ he thought to himself….

With her normal, which for her was _abnormal_, demeanor returning, she resumed her inspection while stating offhandedly….

….. "I have over one thousand hours as pilot in command, eight hundred in this make and model. I have a commercial pilot certificate with an instrument rating. I'm certified for single and multi engine sea and land with complex, high performance and tailwheel endorsements and am currently working on my ATP.

After she popped open a cover on the cowling, withdrew a dipstick, slid it back and secured the cover, she turned to him and stated…..

…. "You can trust me."…

With a look of pride forming on her face, she went on…..

…. "I've flown in over twenty aerobatic competitions and won them all."….

A depressed look came over her, as she continued…

…. "But my Brother made me quit… was afraid it would draw too much attention."….

She paused for a moment and with an exasperated sigh, she added..

….. "He can be such a boob sometimes"….

…. "So this is _your_ plane?"…. John inquired incredulously

…. "Yes, it is."…. She stated, beaming with pride …

She turned back around and while lovingly sliding her hand along the fuselage, explained…

…. "My brother got it for me, for my last birthday."….

She walked up to the front, worked the prop around examining the three blades, then peered into the cowling, scrutinizing various engine components while explaining…

…. "It's a Pitts Model 12, with a four hundred horsepower Vedeneyev M-14P nine cylinder, supercharged radial engine and constant speed, three blade Hartzel prop…. It's fully aerobatic, approved for tail slides and lomchevaks, with a thirty two hundred foot per minuet climb rate and a twenty five thousand foot service ceiling. It has over a three hundred degree per second roll rate and it's certified for nine positive and seven point five negative G's."…..

John watched in amazement, as the petite little brunette, with goggles slid up on her forehead, went about peering into little inspection ports, peeking into fuel tanks and checking cable tensions, all the while rattling off technical jargon about power loading, aspect ratios, dihedral, wing loading and angles of incidence, knowing no more of what she was talking about than when she fell into one of her little semi psychotic episodes, spewing out gibberish.

…. "_Damned if I know what she's talking about, but she does seem to know what she's doing. At the speed we were going of the way down here, she actually could have killed us just as easy I suppose, but I'm here in one piece. Maybe if we just go fly around for a bit with no fancy stuff…. Hmmm…. But I don't know,… if she has one of her fits, I can't exactly just grab the wheel, like in a car"…._he pondered just before she added…

….. "Also, "It has a one hundred eighty mile per hour cruise speed, at seventy per cent power….. but I can push it up to about two hundred…. and a range of five hundred miles on a full load of fuel…. if you might just want to cruse around and go someplace."…. she added, while turning back to him with a pleasant smile.

"Well I don't know Tammy, what if…"….

She cut him off…

"John, look…. I know I have"….. she looked down to the floor momentarily and said….

….."issues"….. then brightened back up and affirmed….

….."but I'm _fine_ now…. I'll be _Ok_..and so will you….. Come on John, it'll be fun."…. She pleaded…. And added…

….. "It would mean a lot to me."….

John thought for a moment, as he gazed into her innocent _looking_, pleading face and thought…..

…_.. "Well John, according to you're Mother, you're supposed to be this big macho hero someday. Tammy does seem to know what she's doing and she has been somewhat saner since we got here and…..well…. you do have a parachute…just in case….. Ok why not?"…._

John just nodded his head slightly in agreement, with a tight lipped smile…

Tammy's face beamed with joy, as she snatched up her parachute, slipped her arms through the shoulder straps and looked back at John, who was still standing in the same spot, blankly staring at the many straps hanging from his parachute.

…. "Need some help with that?"…she inquired, in a cheerful voice and started toward him…..

…. "Well…uh, ya… like I said… never used one of these things."…. he chuckled….

She helped him into his chute, cinched all the straps up tight then did the same to her's, went over to a desk, grabbed a tray and held it out to him…

… "Here, all keys, pencils, pens, coins and anything else in you're pockets, other than you're wallet goes in here."….. she ordered….

…. "Why?"….. He asked with a puzzled look…

…. "Cause were going to do some dancing and they'll get in the way."….. she explained with a mischievous grin…

…. " What!"… he exclaimed, looking a bit more bewildered…

…. "Just trust me, you'll be glad you did."….. she replied with a grin..

With a sigh of resignation, he complied with her request and emptied his pockets into the tray. She returned the tray to it's place, grabbed a pair of headsets, went over and handed one to John. After they pushed the plane out into the open, she went back in, hit the switch closing the main door, exited thru the side door and locked it, snapping the key onto a little chain around her neck and tucked it into her blouse.

Walking out to John, she nodded toward the plane and said in a merry voice…

…"Ok… Let's saddle up…get on off this rock."….

…_. "Oh well, here goes"…. _he said to himself with a sigh and butterflies forming in his stomach…. "_I had a funny feeling this day was going to be exciting….. Tammy…never know what to expect."…._

As they arrived at the plane, John started climbing in to the aft cockpit, but Tammy tugged on his pant leg and nodded her head toward the front. After he climbed into the forward cockpit, she made sure he was strapped into his harness correctly, pointed out a red lever, with a safety pin through it and explained….

….. "Emergency release, it will jettison the canopy, in case we need to leave in a hurry. I have one too, so don't pull it."….

She pointed out a latch on his harness….

…. "Emergency release… if I jettison the canopy, pull it … _hard.. _It will release your harness, but _do not _pull it, until the canopy has been jettisoned."…. she added with emphasis.

…. "What's all this talk about jettisoning things?"….John queried….

…. "Exactly what _kind _of an emergency?"… He further inquired, apprehensively….

….. "Like a wing tears off…. engine falls out…. that sort of thing."… she replied nonchalantly, while handing him his headset and plugging it in…..

….. "Oh…. now that's _real_ comforting!"… John retorted..

…. "Don't worry bao bei, things will be fine."….. she assured him gaily, gave him a quick kiss on his head and clambered into the aft cockpit …

John sat in tense anticipation, as he heard her behind him, clicking latches and flicking switches. She switched on the intercom and called out…..

….. "Ya with me John?"….

….. "Right here, haven't gone anywhere."…. he replied with a chuckle….

A second later he heard her thru the headset, mumbling casually to herself…..

…. "brakes, set…. fuel, on…. prop, full increase…. radio, off…. master, on…. mixture, rich…. throttle, one quarter…. boost pump, on"….

…. "He heard a buzzing humming sound for a few seconds, as his tension increased. The buzzing quit, as he heard her softly continue…

… "boost pump, off…. mixture, lean…. mags, on"…. Then…

… "Clear!"…..

…..as the starter whined and the prop blades flashed to the left, in an arc in front of him. The engine sputtered and coughed. The plane shook, while the big radial belched out thick clouds of blue smoke and the flashing prop blades disappeared in a blur, with a blast of wind blowing back into his face.

Tammy advanced the mixture up to full rich, as the smoke thinned out and cleared, with the engine settling in to a smooth, deep rumbling drone.

A slight claustrophobic feeling came over John, as the canopy flopped down over his head with a soft little thud. She locked it in place, switched on the radio and GPS, calling out….

…. "Gallup Municipal…this is experimental, two niner seven lima whisky. Could I get a radio check please….

…. "Seven lima whisky, we hear you loud and clear. Wind's are two six zero at fifteen, altimeter, three zero two one…We got a student in the pattern doing touch n' goes and a King Air on three mile final for two four"…. An amiable voice responded, then commented ….. "I see ya got a young gentleman with ya today"….

…. "Ya, he's a friend"…. She responded happily…

…. "Good to see, so …ya'll goin' for a 'hundred dollar burger' or a little 'yankin n' bankin?"….. the voice inquired lightheartedly….

…. "Shhh!… don't scare him off!"… She giggled back through the mouthpiece...

…. "No, don't _you_ scare him off"….. The voice came back in an amused tone and added in a more serious voice…

….. "Anyway, were happy for ya…have a safe flight there Albatross"…..

…. "Roger that"…. She came back gleefully, as she advanced the throttle slightly and the plane started rolling out onto the ramp.

As they smoothly "S"turned their way down the taxiway, John queried through the intercom…..

… "So I guess you know that guy?"…..

… "Ya, they all know me here."… She replied nonchalantly …..

… "You come here a lot then, I take it."… he commented…

… "Every Saturday and Sunday and two to three days a week"…. She explained, then added…

… "School bores me, I skip a lot"…..

… "_Must be nice to be able to play hooky half the time and still get straight "A"s"….._John mused to himself…..

John recalled the name painted on the nose of the plane and her brief conversation with the airport manager and inquired curiously…..

….. "So Tammy, the name on your plane… 'Lil' Albatross'… that like your nickname or something?"…..

….. "Ya, they use to call me that, when I was competing in aerobatics"…. then added wistfully…

….. "Daddy use to call me that."…..

Upon reaching the end of the taxiway, Tammy stabbed the right brake and rudder pedal, goosed the throttle and spun them around into the wind, at the run-up pad. She locked the brake, quickly set her altimeter, caged the gyros, zeroed out the "G" meter and advanced the throttle up to 1800 RPM.

John clutched the edges of his seat, as the little plane shimmed back and forth with Tammy sitting behind him, her eyes glued to the instruments as she flicked switches, checked the mags, manifold pressure and fine tuned the fuel mixture.

Satisfied all was "up to snuff,"she throttled it back to a smooth idle, spun the plane back around and inched up toward the edge of the runway.

…. "Ya ready"…. she cried out…

"Uhh.. Ya… I guess so…"… John answered back into the mouthpiece, then nervously queried…

…. "How can you see where you're going in this thing?"…. as he craned his neck in an attempt to peer over the cowling in front of him…

She just chucked slightly, as she pulled out onto the runway, hit the talk button and announced….

…. "Gallup traffic… Experimental two niner seven lima whisky, taking off runway two four, ….crosswind departure"….

She nudged the plane forward slightly, as she danced on the rudder pedals, centering and locking the tailwheel in place, then smartly advanced the throttle to it's stop, as the big Vedeneyev radial roared like an angry mother bear, hurtling the little plane down the runway.

His knuckles went white, as his fingers dug into the edges of the seat, that a giant unseen hand had firmly pushed him back into. The runway came into view, with the centerline stripes shooting toward them, as the tail floated up off the ground.

With knots in his stomach, John's head shot from side to side watching the terrain fly past, as the plane shimmied and shook on down the tarmac. After a second or two, the vibration ceased as they floated up off the ground. She eased back on the stick and the world fell away behind them. He got a slight queasy feeling and held on to the sides of his cockpit, as she rolled into a forty five degree climbing turn to the left, but relaxed somewhat, as they rolled back to level and continued on, in a smooth relaxed southbound climb.

At ten thousand feet, she eased back the throttle and leveled off. John's jitters melted away, as he gazed down at the landscape, thirty five hundred feet below, appearing as if motionless. As they droned through the thin clear air, of a cool cloudless December morning, Tammy's childlike voice came through the comm….

….. "Ya Ok John?…. Everything nice and shiny now?"….

….. "Ya I'm fine now… this is awesome!"…. he exclaimed…..

…. "Thought you'd like it, I'm happy I talked you into it, you seemed like the type."…. she sighed and added quietly…. "like my daddy."….

John marveled at the serene peaceful feeling he felt. No worries about who might be following him. No anxieties about the unseen future. No overbearing Mother to worry about. Tammy's voice, as they engaged in an occasional bit of casual conversation, also seemed to be as lucid as he had ever heard her, stripped of that normal "spooky" edge. It was just him and Tammy, without a care in the world. He found himself wishing they would never have to come down. It was where, he realized, he always wanted to be…..alone. He could hear her comforting voice and feel her presence, but could not see her, like a guardian angel. He would never forget her.

Suddenly Tammy's voice crackled through the headset…..

….. "Nice and relaxed now?"…..

…. "Ya, this is great!… glad I came along!"…. he affirmed…..

…. "Good!…then it's time to 'dance!'…. Ready for some fun!"…. She came back excitedly….

…. "_Dance?"…._ He pondered to himself with a perplexed look, but before he could inquire as to what she was talking about, she pulled the power back to idle and pitched the nose upward, quickly bleeding off the airspeed …..

…. "What the hell happened!" he cried out nervously… "we out of gas!"…

The plane buffeted, as it broke into a stall. The nose dropped abruptly earthward as he gasped, with a horrific thought flashing through his mind…..

…_.. "Oh shit!… she's having one of her fits!"…._ as his eyes darted around the cockpit, in a panic, searching for the red handle.

…. "No touch!"…. she cried out, while mashing the left rudder to the floor, as the plane dropped out of the sky, flipping violently over to the left….

John's stomach was still about three hundred feet above him, as he watched in horror, the rapidly approaching terrain spinning around to the right.

As they plummeted earthward, the plane spinning on it's axis like a top, John's face turned a light shade of green, as he managed to call out weakly…

….. "Wh.. what the hell ya doin!"…

….. "Warmin' up!"…. She shouted back gleefully. While stomping on the right rudder pedal, arresting the rotation, she cried out…..

….. "I'm a leaf on the wind…. watch me soar!"…. as she shoved the stick forward, breaking the stall and transitioned into a long curving high speed dive, with a smooth graceful aileron roll.

The world went gray, then nearly black, as the blood rushed from his head, when she pulled back up …..

….. "Tighten up your belly!"…. she called out the him… "and you won't black out!"…..

Arriving at the top of a tight half loop, at precisely one hundred forty miles per hour, Tammy rolled them back upright, to complete a perfect immelman maneuver, yanked back the stick and kicked the left rudder pedal for a high speed stall, sending them hurtling forward in a snap roll, followed by a brief full throttle dive and abrupt pull up to a near vertical climb. At the top of their skyward trajectory, John felt the corn chips wanting to come back up in his throat, as the energy bled off and he felt the plane starting to fall backwards, in a combination torque roll/tail slide. The whole world went topsy turvy, as they flipped over backwards and tumbled end over end, wing over wing, in a disorienting, free falling lomchevak, transitioning to an inverted flat spin. After several dizzying inverted twirls, she broke the spin and went into an inverted high speed dive. John felt as if his head was about to explode, when she shoved the stick forward, to pull up into an outside loop, with the blood rushing to his head.

After about ten more minuets of combinations of various types of loops, rolls, spins hammerheads and spiral dives, she straightened back out to level flight. John sat in silence, in a cold clammy sweat with a spinning head, when Tammy called out with a chuckle…

…. "Ya still with me?"…

…. "Uhh..ya… ya, I'm fine."… He stated a bit nervously.

He was John Connor, future leader and savior of the whole human race, according to his Mother anyway. While he was not sure if he realy believed all that, thru his Mother's constant pounding it into his head, he had at times found it somewhat comforting. At least it gave him some sence of purpous, something to aspire to, as ridicules as the notion seemed. Other than being a pretty fair "wrench" and a closet "computer geek," that was fair to above average with his fists, it didn't seem to him as if there was much else he was really all that good at.

There was no way he would admit to the little hundred pound girl sitting behind him, calmly singing little rhymes to herself, no matter how much he liked her, upper classman or not, that he had just had the next seven years growth scared out of him and was fighting to keep the little bag of cheese chips, he had eaten earlier, down in their place. If nothing else, he was eternally grateful that she had dissuaded him from eating a big breakfast. Thinking on that, now that his stomach was starting to calm down slightly, he realized that the cheese chips had been all he had eaten, so far that day and was suffering from a powerful hunger.

…. "Liar liar!… she scared you!… she scared you!"….. Tammy giggled out teasingly….

His first reaction to her little outburst was anger, especially after she had promised that there would be no "fancy stuff," but when he thought back on it, he remembered that she had not actually promised it. He had just assumed it. Still, she had been a bit deceitful about the whole affair, he thought to himself.

…. "I'm a girl John!… I have a right to be deceitful!."…. she chirped out gaily, while reaching forward and playfully ruffling the back of his hair.

While he could not see her face, his anger melted away, just by her brief touch and sassy child like voice…..

…_. "Well I guess it wasn't so bad, better than a carnival ride actually and she for sure knows how to fly this thing."…. _He thought to himself, with a smile returning to his face and a shrug of his shoulders. ….

…_. "I guess it's Ok if I was a little nervous though"….._He thought to himself reassuringly_… "After all, this is the first time I've ever been in an airplane, of any sort"…._

With a bit of seriousness back into her voice, Tammy came out with…..

…. "Actually you did _real_ good John, for your first time flying with _me_, especially as how you've never been off the ground before."… then added emphatically with a chuckle.

….."You should have seen my _brother! …._and _he_ jets around on business _all the time!"….._

… "So he flys with you too?"… He inquired casually, though he figured it was a forgone conclusion, as close as she claimed they were.

… "Just once"…. she replied flatly, then added with a sigh….

… "He threw up….. It was a _real_ mess."…..

… "Ya.. I'll bet it was."….. John confirmed with a cuckle. He could just imagine what it would be like for someone to "loose their lunch," in that cramped little cockpit, with Tammy playing kamikaze. His stomach churned at the very thought of it.

…. "But it was Ok"….. Tammy explained with a chuckle…. "I threw up on his bed once, so it made us even."…..

John again started wondering about the rumors, concerning her and her brother,…. how she had managed to throw up on his _bed_, of all places, when she piped up with another chuckle and reassured him with…

… "No John… it's not what you think…. It's a long story"…

John brushed it off, as he figured that he was not the one to talk, considering long stories, as he reflected on his own weird past.

With his nerves finaly setteled, he relaxed back and just took in the sights, as Tammy piloted them through the clear blue sky. Even the little kamikaze phase of their flight seemed enjoyable, now that he thought back on it. It was sure better than sitting around being bored sick, at the little hick malt shop back in Red Valley. He was actually starting to look forward to more of this with her and was wondering if she would like him to come along with her, come next Sunday. Now, however, he had other thoughts coming to mind. With his hunger building, as it was now past noon, he thought back to Red Valley and what it had to offer as far as gastronomical delights.

There was his Mother's home cooking, the greasy spoon where she worked and the microwave burgers and burritos from the malt shope. That was it. Here in Gallup, however, there was bound to be plenty of good taco and chili places to choose from. His mouth started watering for a good plate of steak burritos, smothered with green chili and maybe a side of guacomole and chips.

He was about to make a suggestion when she piped up with….

…. "Hey John…. I know a great Mexican restaurant here…. Best green chili and guacamole in the state…. Wanna head back in?…. I'll treat ya to lunch"….

He knew that she was intuitive, "feminine wiles" as she put it and had known others that were like that as well, although not even near to Tammy's level. His Mother was a prime example. She always seemed to know exactly what he was thinking. There was no way he could lie to her and get away with it…she always knew. It was all based, he figured, on knowing how to read facial expressions, body language, vocal tones, etc. and he had just figured that Tammy was _exceptionally_ good at it. But it had just dawned on him, that during the course of their present conversation, that that could not possibly have been the case.

Here he sat, strapped tightly into his seat;…. no body language. Tammy sat behind him, looking at the back of his head;…. no facial expressions; and he had actually said very little out loud;… no vocal tones to read, but she had answered his thoughts as if he had actually spoken them.

Perhaps some the stories about here _were_ true. Maybe she _was_ some sort of witch or mystic at that. There wasn't really any other plausible explanation. The thing that shocked him the most, however, was the fact that he _wasn't _shocked, like it was perfectly natural to talk to your girlfriend by just thinking at her. He had the feeling that she already knew, that he'd been led to believe that his own Father had been a soldier from the future, sent back in time by his future self, to protect his Mother and insure his birth. He also wondered, if she _could_ indeed read his mind, that she may have thought he was an escapee from a nut ward, after seeing all the crazy stuff in his head, like Uncle Bob and the shape shifter. He wondered if she knew about him and his Mother being wanted by the FBI and the state of California, along with several Latin American agencies, for everything from gun smuggling to several accounts of first degree murder.

It became chillingly clear that she most likely knew his thoughts and past _intimately_. She had, although very subtlety and innocently, been coming on to him since they had first spoken to each other. She didn't seem to be turned off or repulsed in _the least_, about his rather shady past and if that was the case, he reasoned, what in the world was _her_ strange mysterious past all about? Was she perhaps a descendent of Pol Pot? or some old Nazi war criminal, like maybe Adolf Eichmann or Heinrich Himmler? He didn't know; anything could be possible.

There was one thing he _did_ know however. He didn't care; she might truly be a witch or whatever, but she was _his_ witch.

* * *

They winged across the desert expanses and back to Gallup Municipal. She rolled down onto the runway, without so much as a chirp from the tires and after they pushed her bird back into it's nest, locked up and strolled lazily back to the Cobra, they rumbled on into town. She pulled into a parking lot with a sign, sporting a big yellow Mexican sombrero with lettering across it saying "El Sombrero"…. naturally. After popping open the trunk, she donned her big black boots and clomped on into the restaurant at John's side, her big goofy goggles still perched on her forehead.

John noticed that since leaving the airport environment, she had started to revert back to her normal, or not so normal, self. She became fascinated with the wood grain on the table of their booth. She stared down at it intently, cocking her head from side to side, while gliding her hand across it for several minuets. Finally she said in a quiet airy voice, without looking up…..

….. "Quercus cornelis-mulleri"…. while continuing with her inspection…

After a few more minuets of deep contemplation, she looked up to John and stated flatly….

…. "It's Oak… native to Baja Mexico"….

John looked back, shook his head briskly and stated with a chuckle….

…. "Ya know Tammy, you're a totally _awesome _pilot, but sometimes I wonder if you're not a bit …'loose in the caboose?"….. he concluded, while tapping his temple….

She stared back at him and admitted, with a slight laugh…

…. "Well that _is_ the overwhelming consensus"….

He gazed back at her for a moment, then broke into laughter, which she joined in, as she leaned across the table, giving him a quick little "peck" on the lips, just as their lunch arrived.

Their lunch went without incident, aside from Tammy, whimsically scrutinizing the pattern made by the chili specks on a corn chip. John ordered "the works," while Tammy was content with a single quesadilla with a side of green chili….and playfully stealing items from John's plate.

As lunch drew to a close, he watched as she stared, hypnotically, at a little thin stream of golden honey, trailing down from the packet she held in her hand, onto a sopaipilla. She was just a bit "off center," or rather "eccentric," as he preferred to think of her, but even with her kooky looking goggles slid up on her forehead, she had to be the most endearing sight he had ever seen. He balked at the idea that he had almost backed out, or "chickened out" rather, from their flying date. It was up _there_, in _her_ element, that he finally met the _real_ Tammy Woodward. It was there, even though he had never even kissed her, aside from _her_ occasional playful little "pecks," that he felt as if they had totally connected, just the two of them together, in the endless expanse of the sky, where they became as one.

…. "That's why I wanted you to come with me, I knew it would happen… I don't like to be lonely"…. Tammy admitted with a serious look, while looking up from her sopaipilla.

He was not startled in the least, at her so obvious invasion of his thoughts and for the first time, it aroused absolutely no guile within him. If she could in fact read his mind, which it was becoming rather obvious that she could, he was starting to wonder if she could actually help herself from doing so, anymore than he could keep from over hearing someone talking in the next booth.

When he had thought the things she had commented on, she was not even looking at him. She had seemed to be off in her own little world, oblivious to his or anybody else's presence, totally transfixed with the little stream of honey, piling up on her sopaipilla. She hadn't been "prying" into his mind. When she answered his thoughts, she was only responding to what she couldn't _help_ but to hear, being _honest_ with him and he couldn't fault her for that.

He tried to imagine what it would be like to be continually bombarded by the bedlam of other peoples thoughts and not be able to shut them off. _Their_ thoughts essentially invading _her_ mind. It would answer a lot of questions about her weirdness, why she lived way out in the desert by herself, why she stuck to herself at school and why she seemed to be so different in the air…so at peace and normal…. No other thoughts but her _own_; and his this time, to have to deal with.

It would also explain her paranoia. If word got out about her strange talent, she would most likely be a very valuable piece of real estate to some, possibly with very ulterior motives. The imprisonment she had mentioned and her fears of certain people looking for her, he figured, might have something to do with that.

Now as he looked at her, their was no more spookiness, because something is only spooky if you don't understand it. He understood her now and all he saw was an intelligent, extremely talented and capable, lovely young girl with a very _unusual_ ability.

* * *

After lunch they took in a movie. While John was not that big on Sci-Fi, Tammy insisted on seeing "The Phantom Menace," which they sat through three times, also at her insistence. When John was finally able to "pry" her from the theater, the sun had already set and while it was still early, they decided to head back to Red Valley, just to be on "the safe side." When they arrived back at their home town, John decide that as his Mother would not be home for several more hours yet, he would get they an ice cream at the malt shop. Other than having to sit through a movie many times, that he was not all that crazy about in the first place, it had been a wonderful day, the best time he had had for as long as he could remember. She had covered everything up till then and as he had the price of a chocolate sundae on him, he figured the _least _he could do would be to get them one to share.

They had arrived there just as the proprietor was closing up and the other patrons had long since drifted away. Again they laid out aside each other on the grass, as she contemplated the stars, like they had done on their first date and gave him another lesson on astrometry, celestial time keeping and navigation. He promised himself that he would not become threatened, by her superior intellect and react like a "boob," as he had the first time.

For an hour they lay relaxed, beside each other, in quiet peaceful conversation, serenely gazing at the stars, when suddenly Tammy's body stiffened up, as she whispered out, with a blank look…

….. "Rodney…. no talk… no time"…..

John had caught the name "Rodney" and remembered their fist encounter with the British "gentleman."

He sat up with a start, just in time to see Rodney and his crew emerge from behind the building. It was obvious to John, that Tammy had hit a sore spot with him, during their previous conversation and he intended to "convince" her to keep her mouth shut, at the very least. He had also brought extra reinforcements, six in all and it didn't look like he was in the mood for another, rather embarrassing, "parley," as they rapidly advanced on the startled couple.

John bolted up and charged forward to meet their attackers, while screaming out for Tammy to run. He was hoping against hope, that their soon to be assailants had not posted a guard by her car and she would have time to make a clean getaway, while he tried to hold them off. He tackled the leader to the ground in a frenzy and began wailing on his face, as three others came up from behind and pulled him off, allowing Rodney to regain his footing, with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

The other two concentrated of Tammy. One came up from behind, grabbing her arms and holding them fast, with a bear hug around the waist, whilst the other deftly stuffed a rag into her mouth and quickly produced a roll of duct tape, to secure it in place.

Just as he was about to apply the tape however, Tammy smartly bowed forward from the waist, with a leg flying up behind her, as if made of rubber and her heel smacking the back of her assailant's head, breaking his grip. She twisted loose grabbing one of his wrists, while twirling around with an arm shooting out, as the side of her hand flew into front of the former's neck. He collapsed to his knees, grasping his throat, as the latter howled in agony, when he felt his arm twist behind him and snap, followed by Tammy's foot flying up and smashing into his temple, shutting off the lights. The former was hunched over on his knees, making little choking sounds, while clutching his throat with one hand and attempting to hold himself up with the other, as Tammy spun around in one continuous motion, kicking him in the head and taking him out for the count.

It had taken three of Rodney's thugs to restrain John from his adrenalin fueled attack on their leader, to try and buy Tammy, his cute innocent little aviatrix, time to escape. He gained a small measure of satisfaction, from seeing the damage he had done to Rodney's face, during his all too brief assault, but it could do nothing to ease the despair he now felt, as Rodney's fists pounded relentlessly into his gut. Rodney was a coward of the first order, but he could hit like with the force of a wreaking ball. John never heard her car fire up and knew that he had failed to grant the one, that he now realized he loved, sufficient time to flee and was reminded of that, as he gazed helplessly, gagging and gasping for breath, at Rodney's sadistic sneer, while he pounded mercilessly into his midsection. A prayer floated through John's hazy pain wracked brain, that he would survive this night, that he might hunt down and pay Rodney his due, for the atrocities his goons were probably committing, on his sweet defenseless little Tammy.

Just as John was about to pass out; it seemed as if one of his three restrainers had broken his grip on him, as if in a hazy dream, he thought he saw a light flesh colored blur, flash through the air beside him and plant a foot squarely in the center of Rodney's face, snapping his head violently to the rear, as he flew backwards and limply collapsed in a heap.

John dropped to his knees holding his gut, gagging and puking, as his remaining two restrainers released him, to face the new threat. One took off running, at the sight of their fallen leader, while the other snapped open a stiletto style switchblade and lunged toward Tammy. With the first of the three restrainer's arm still firmly in her grasp, twisted behind his back at a very unnatural looking angle, she ducked down under the incoming knife, grabbed the latter's wrist and guided his blade deep into the side of the former. Even before his limp body had fully slumped to the ground, she sprang back up and whirled back around, smashing the heel of her hand up into the latter's nose, as he fell backwards, into a lifeless heap.

Still laying on the ground, grasping his gut, he gazed up through blurry eyes in shocked astonishment, at the now angelic concerned face of Tammy Woodward, hovering over him.

….. "John, we need leave."… She called out urgently to him….

Gazing around at the scene of total carnage, punctuated by an occasional weak sounding groan, over a background of oncoming police sirens, he figured that "leaving" could quite possibly be the most prudent course of action, at the present time. He just nodded his head in acknowledgement, as she helped him to his feat and into the car.

With the sound of distant sirens approaching, they roared off into the night. They both sat in silence, as they made their way back to John's house, on back roads, to avoid any possible contact with authorities, responding to the disturbance.

* * *

Upon arrival at his house, John glanced over at her sitting beside him, staring blankly ahead. He was still having a rather difficult time believing what he had just beheld. A cute little hundred pound girl, totally decimating a gang of six toughs, in the span of less than a minuet. For a moment he thought to himself, somewhat humorously, that Chuck Norris _himself _probably checked his closet and under the bed each night for Tammy Woodward, before going to bed.

John had "faced off" with plenty of others that had warned him, about how they knew Karate, Hung Kung Fuey, Chop Suey along with several other Chinese and Japanese words and how their "whole body was a weapon," just before he had pummeled them into the dirt. At no time however, up till now, had he met someone, where that latter statement was quite literally true, with the exception of Uncle Bob the cyborg.

He thought back for a moment, to his old Terminator buddy, that his future self had sent back in time to protect him and looked over at Tammy. Just like him, she also had a somewhat odd, dorky personality at times. Tammy, like uncle Bob, could take on an entire army and emerge victorious with just a few scrapes on her knuckles, to show for the effort. A sickening though came to mind as he compared the two.

He fully admitted to himself that he had fallen in love with this weird, petite little brunette. Aside from just sexual fantasies, of which he had for Tammy as well, she was the first girl that he had ever had these deep feelings for, much in the same way uncle Bob had been the only person to become an actual true friend. For the first time in his life he was truly in love and it was great….. but why in _hell _couldn't his first love at _least_ be _human?_

As he despondently mulled over to himself, the apparent fact that the "love of his life" was probably just another cybernetic "protector," sent back in time by his future self and was only interested in him because it was the way she had been programmed, Tammy looked over to him, placed a hand lightly on his cheek and stated softly…

…. "No John, I'm a real girl… with _real_ feelings"…. and as she made a "face," added, emphatically…. "_not_ a lovebot"….

Unless Sky-Net had developed a new advanced model sometime in the distant future, John knew that Terminators, for the most part, were pretty honest and direct. They may evade a question and withhold information, but to actually tell a _direct_ bold faced lie, was not like them, nor did they possess ESP. As he felt the very real warmth of her touch, he conceded to her claim, that she was real and not, as she had so humorously put it, a "lovebot."

He was about to apologize for his thoughts and chuckled to himself about how most guys he knew had to apologize to _their_ girlfriends for an occasional "slip of the tongue," _he _on the other hand, might have to apologize for just an errant _thought_. As much as he loved her, he had a feeling that this could prove to be a _very _challenging relationship.

Before he could open his mouth, however, she pulled back away from him, looked down at the seat and announced in a sad downcast voice….

…. "I can't see you again"….

The pain that he was still feeling from Rodney's beating, was totally eclipsed by the gut wrenching pain he felt, upon hearing her announcement. He figured that she had taken exception to his thoughts of her being a machine and had been deeply hurt. With his mind racing, he hastily apologized and explained….

…. "No!.. wait.. Tammy, please!…. I'm sorry.. Ok!… It was just a crazy thought, I _know_ you're for real and"… he thought for a moment, swallowed and added…. "even if you _weren't_, … it wouldn't make any difference."…..

She turned and looked back up to him, with misty eyes and explained….

…. "That's not it John… I _want _to keep going out with you…I really wish I _could_, but I _can't"….. _she explained with her voice cracking…

John was about to ask as to why she felt as if she couldn't, when she went on with a more serious look and her voice calming down slightly…

…. "Those guys back there…two of them are _dead!_ John… I _killed them!… _instantly …and another probably _will_ die"…..

While John was slightly chilled by her admission, he had suspected the same, as he noticed the blank wide open eyes of her final victim, staring skyward. He just had that feeling, that _he_ wasn't ever getting up again. Still it _had_ been self defense and knew she and her brother could afford the best lawyers possible, for her defense; and his, should they both become implicated. He also knew, however, that she would have no desire for a police investigation, let alone possible court proceedings; or would he, for that matter.

With those thoughts in mind he attempted to reasure her…..

….. "Tammy look… they were going to rape you at the very least, they were set on beating me _literally_ to death, you were only defending us, from people that the police and public look at as low lifes anyway. To them, it's probably just good riddance; there's not a jury in the world that would convict you, if it came to that…. Hell you'd be lucky if they didn't give you a medal"…. he concluded…

As she started to protest, he held up his hand and continued…..

…. "Hold on…let me finish… I also know that no matter _how_ innocent a court of law may think you are, that for some reason you would fear the publicity of an investigation and trial…. For reasons of your own, that are _none_ of my business"….. he added emphatically, then continued…

…. "Just lay low Tammy… stay at home till this blows over, you ditch school all the time anyway, so nobody will think _twice_ about it. If they do come looking for you, to ask questions, just lie…say we were never there. I don't think anyone else saw us there and I don't think anyone saw us leaving, with all the back roads you took. Do you really think that they'd believe Rodney's scumbag's over _you?"…. _

He gave her a smile, while reaching over to play with her hair for a moment, while stating…

…. "You can be _awfully_ convincing when you _want to_…. Ya know…_feminine wiles?_"…..

They shared a little laugh, as she returned him a slight smile as he added….

…. "Besides, do you seriously _think_ that the police would believe their story, that they had all been whipped by a hundred pound eighteen year old girl, in the first place?…. Some of which she killed with her _bare hands?… _I was _there _and I still can hardly believe it… I doubt that they'd even have the balls to _admit it_. They'll _probably_ make up a story about a gang fight or something."…..

….. "Even if they _do_ get pushy, you got an airplane" …. he continued… "You could take off and disappear into Canada or Alaska. With your flying skills you could make a good living as a bush pilot."…. He thought for a moment on his Mother and how much he'd miss her. He looked at Tammy and knew right then, if it came down to it, which way he'd go. …..

…. "and if that's what you have to do" …. looking down for a second, he swallowed, looked her in eye and stated….

…. "I'll go with you Tammy..I don't want to be away from you… hell, we could go down to Mexico, Central America…. I know people there, maybe all the way to South America… maybe Paraguay…no extradition there …. A lot of kids from school saw us together at the malt shop the other night; I've been asking around about you for weeks now… They'll probably just figure we ran off together…eloped"…..

Tammy looked back at him with watery eyes and said….

…. "John… that's sweet, you have _no_ idea how much I'd like to do that with you, but"…

And as the happy look left her and she looked down glumly… added…

…. "I can't"….

John started to protest, as she continued on…..

…. "It wouldn't be safe"…. she glanced back up to him, with a little tear trickling down a cheek and clarified….

…. "for you"…

John was about to spill his guts to her, about him and his Mother being on the run from the law since he was ten years old, how he was an old hand at it and had always managed to come through it all,… when she explained further ….

…. "All what you say is true John. They won't come looking for us. I know for a fact that Rodney's boys will never admit to having been beaten by me. They'll lie and say it was a gang fight, just like you said. Nobody saw us leave, I made sure of that, but it's not the authorities I'm worried about."….

…. "Well Ok… then what is it Tammy?… what are you so afraid of?"… He queried with a sympathetic look, while lightly stroking her hair….

She burried her head in her hands, lightly sobbing and choked out….

…. "It's me…. It's me I'm afraid of"…..

John was now totally stupefied. In a bewildered tone, he inquired….

…. "You?… what do you mean…you?"… as he gently reached over to turn her face toward him…

She sat upright and faced him with red tear soaked eyes and blurted out, while throwing her hands out in front of her…..

….."You still don't get it!…do you John!…. I killed two, maybe _three_ men tonight! ….with out even _flinching_..no guilt!…no remorse!… I'm _dangerous_ John!… dangerous to _you!… _things came out alright, but it could have been worse!…. _much_ worse!… I could have _hurt_ you!…hurt you _bad_…. _killed you!"…. _

She buried her head back in her hands, sobbing heavily, then rose back up, with tears streaming down her face and continued her tirade…..

…. "I'm a danger to _anyone_ I'm close to, except my brother… he can control me… _you_ can't… or can anyone _else_…. But _you_ mean too much to me John!… I _can't_ take the chance!"… she concluded, while wiping the tears from her face with her sleeve….

John leaned over to her and helped wipe her tears away. He lifted her head up gentaly buy her chin to face him and stated….

…. "I'll take my chances…. You mean too much to _me,_ not to."…

He pulled her into an embrace and rocked her slightly, as she laid her head on his chest lightly sobbing. After a few minuets, he stated with a slight chuckle….

…. "The thing is though, that you _didn't_ hurt me…. You _helped_ me…. As much as I hate to admit it, a hundred pound girl by the name of Tammy Woodward saved my _ass _tonight… I'd probably be dead _right now, _if it hadn't been for you."…

She gently pulled from his embrace, looked up to him with a sad look and slowly shook her hear while saying….

… "No you still don't understand, let me explain"….

She continued on calmly, as John listened to her tale intently. Tammy reveled a little more from her past, as she admitted she had been brainwashed during her imprisonment and had been imbedded with behavioral conditioning.

She claimed that in hand to hand combat, be it bare handed or melee weapons, she was virtually unstoppable, aside from a sniper and after what John had witnessed from her that evening, he had little reason to doubt. She also claimed, she was unmatched in firearms proficiency.

While she had gained a substantial measure of control over herself, in the years after her imprisonment, during a close combat situation, she would tend to loose herself in a blood rage frenzy, not distinguishing between friend or foe.

In her former life, she admitted to him, that while they were good people and like family to her, the ones her and her brother had fallen in with after her rescue operated outside the law, more often than not, that she had been a mercenary soldier of sorts and had been in many skirmishes and raids. Most encounters went well and she was able to maintain control, spilling the blood of only the enemies, but some did not.

Her brother had a method of bringing her back under control in such a situation. By shouting a certain phrase at her, she would simply fall asleep on the spot and by the time she woke up her blood rage would be gone, ususually. As her brother was a doctor who was not all that proficient during a combat situation, he usually stayed behind to patch up the wounded after a raid. Tammy, on the other hand, with her combat skills and uncanny intuitive ability, always went along when trouble was anticipated.

The words that he used, to bring her back under control, were a slang phrase from a dead language and had to be pronounced perfectly, with a precise timing between the words, to work. It had taken him days to teach two others, that he learned to trust, to use them correctly. He didn't like the idea of sharing them with any others, as they would render her completely defenseless. The procedure, if she got out of control, was to hastily fall back, get out of her way and just let her do her thing, while trying to protect her from snipers. After and only after she had dispatched the last of the foes, the phrase would be spoken and she would collapse on the spot. They could then retrieve her back to safety, lock her up in a cage, just in case she retained her rage upon awakening, then turn her loose after her brother deemed it safe to do so.

Tammy maintained that since her arrival here in her new life, she had never been in a fight, until this night. It had been her first in many years. She discovered, that while her fighting skills had not atrophied in the slightest, her ability to control her rage had. She had felt her old blood rage coming back with a vengeance, from the very first kick and was unable to control it, from lack of practice. The only reason she had continued on and taken the chance, was because she knew they would kill John if she did not. The only reason she had _not_ gotten lost in a total blind frenzy, she assessed, was due to the fact that her opponents were very easy and the fight had lasted but for a moment. Even as it was, she claimed, that by the time the last of the thugs had fallen, she was "right on the edge." It had been very, very, close.

After she made an end to her tale, John remarked to himself that his own weird past was but a picnic, compared to some of the things she had shared with him and he knew that she had but reveled the "tip of the iceberg" as it was.

John had suggested that she might join a martial arts dojo, where she could spar and learn to control her rage again, sign up for tournaments and the such.

She said she had thought of that, but without her brother around to stop her, in case she "lost it," she would just end up killing someone and probably more that one. She also pointed out that her brother would never approve, as it might draw too much attention.

Then an idea came to John as to how he could help her….

…. "Well just teach _me_ the words and I can help you with this."….

She explained, that while she would feel much relieved if he knew them and could control her if need be, not to mention that she would be able to remain in her relationship with him, that it was not possible. She herself did not know the words and could not learn them, because if she were to hear them spoken correctly, she would immediately loose consciousness and not remember them upon awakening.

They both sat back glumly in their seats silently, just staring up at the stars. Tammy who normaly was ecstatic, contemplating the wonders of the cosmos, sat in a depressed funk, with a single tear rolling from the corner of an eye. As much as she wished it were not so, she knew that this would have to be the last time, that she could be together with John.

While he didn't have ESP like Tammy, John knew exactly how she felt, as he turned his head slightly and glanced over to her. He knew her heart was breaking, as was his, but also that Tammy was totally set in her belief that she was a danger to him and this would be the last time he would see her, aside from staring across the room, during lunch break and study hall. It was still a couple of hours before his mom got home and she would have to leave, but this waiting for the inevitable was torture. He figured that they might just as well say their final good by and get it over with.

He glanced over to her one last time, before making his departure and thought to himself gloomily…

…_. "Well like they say… 'if something seems to good to be true, it usually is"…_

Taking a deep breath, he prepared to bid her good by and walk out of her life forever. As it turned out, the only real bright spot of the day was the fact that Rodney had directed his punches, to parts of his body that would not be visible to Sarah and invoke _her_ ire, on top of everything else.

Suddenly, a new ray of hope flashed through his mind. He wanted to kick himself for overlooking the soultion that was so obvious. He couldn't imagine how Tammy, of all people, had not thought of it herself.

…. "Tammy!.. I've got it!…I know how we can do this!"… he blurted out excitedly…

She turned to him and stated….

….. "I know what you're thinking John, but I don't think it will work"….

….. "But why not?…I may only be a "C" student but I'm _not_ stupid, I know I can learn it"… he stated emphatically…. and added, while staring intently into her misty eyes…

…. "and I _have_ the proper motivation"…

A tight lipped smile came to her and she reached over and patted his hand, while affirming….

…. "Yes, I know you want to try and I'm sure you could do it… I _know_ you're notstupid…but"… she went on to explain… "My brother knows that I can defend myself if I have to, otherwise he would never have agreed to let me live out here on my own. If other people knew how to use the 'safe word,' as he calls it, it could negate that. I don't think he'd agree to teaching it to you."…..

…. "You don't trust me?… don't think I can keep a secret?"…. He inquired with a slight hurt look…

… "No!… not at _all!"… _she stated with conviction. While leaning toward him and placing her hand lightly on his cheek, she continued…

… "I _know_ I can trust you. I know you'd _never_ betray me and"… while giving him a very piercing look, she stated emphatically… "I _know_ you're _very_ good at keeping secrets too"….. she added….

… "I also know that you know now, that I can see to the truth of things in people, that I'm an excellent judge of character. You know, that _I_ know you're _not_ like everybody else, that you're different. That's why I came over to meet you the other day, in study hall"….

She let out a sigh and clarified….

… "It's not _me_ that's the problem here, it's my brother. It's _him_ that needs to trust you and I don't think he will"….. she explained with a downcast look…

…. "Well just explain the situation… I'm sure he trusts your judgment, him letting you live way out her alone and all.. He wants you to be happy doesn't he?"…. John queried..

… "Yes, he trusts my judgment…sort of… or, as you noticed, he wouldn't have let me stay here alone, but it was very hard for him to do so. It took a long, long time for me to convince him"… she stated, then continued with a sigh…

… "He _still_ thinks of me as his little kid sister. He can't seem to let go of that. He can't, or doesn't _want to_, accept the fact that I'm growing up and need to make my _own_ decisions concerning my life, _without_ his guidance"…. she looked downward and added solemnly ….

…. "I'm all he has"…

…_. "Well now, don't that sound familiar"….. _John mused to himself, as she continued on….

…. "If I told him what happened tonight with Rodney's bunch, or if I thought I was loosing control and needed someone around me, who knew the 'safe word,' he would move me back to Albuquerque in a _nanosecond_. I'd have a privet tutor and would only see daylight if he was with me. Yes, he _want's_ me to be happy. _Nothing_ would make him happier than for me to find someone that I.."…she hesitated for a second, bit her lip and continued….

…. "that I'm comfortable with…. , but.."…. she continued with an exasperated sigh…

… "He'd have to approve of him"….

… "You don't think he'd like me?"…. John queried while furrowing his brow slightly.

… "He wouldn't hate you, but he wouldn't think you're right for me either"…. she sighed again, gazed downward and added…

… "You're not the right sort"….

John thought for a moment, then narrowed his eyes while pulling back away from her and exclaimed…

… "Oh.. Ok!… I get it now. Because I'm just a lowly _"C" student _sophomore_,_ I'm not right for his precious little _honor roll _senior… because my Mother is a mere _waitress_ in a greasy spoon truck stop I'm not _fit_ for the sister of some high class _Doctor_, just because…."…

…. "John!…John!"… she cut him off and cried out frantically, while leaning forward and grasping his hands…

…. "Please John, don't be mad!…listen to me Ok?"…. she looked up into his face imploringly and explained….

… "Yes, he's like that, it's the way _he_ is…but I'm _not_ him… I'm _me_….. he's my brother, and I love him more than anything, even though he's a pompous boob, he _means_ well…he just has expectations for me, but there _his_ expectations.. not mine"….

John again felt like a total ass…a boob…for his childish little outburst, as Tammy hugged him and buried her head deep in his chest lightly sobbing . He held her tightly, stroking her soft hair knowing what he really meant to her, as he felt her breaking heart beating between her sobs.

… "I'm sorry Tammy, I shouldn't have acted like that…I know you're not like that and I'm sure he only wants what he thinks is best for you"…. he acknowledged, while rocking her gently….then admitted, while glancing down at her with a smile….

… "I guess I was just being a….. boob again"….

She glanced up, gave him a smile, then laid her head back on his chest, as John sighed and said in a resigned tone….

…. "but I guess we can't expect any help from him"….

…. "No…he won't help us"… Tammy choked out and added….

…. "We have so little time left… lets just enjoy it"…..

…. "No Tammy, we'll get through this"….he stated reassuringly… and added…

…. "If we can't get his help _willingly,_ then we have _other_ options"…..

She picked her head up briskly, cocked it to the side slightly, while staring at him with a bewildered look…..

…. "Well looks like miss clairvoyant isn't perfect, or you wouldn't be looking at me like that" …..John stated with a chuckle…

…. "Strong emotions John… strong emotions…. Sometimes they can cloud my perception"…. she explained…

…. "Hmm, I'll have to _remember_ that"…. he replied with a chuckle….

…. "My emotions John_… my _emotions"…. she replied with a grin…

…. "Ok…whatever, so here's what we do"…. he explained as she listened intently…

…. "Get ahold of your brother and just say you'd like to come see him… maybe take him out to dinner, a movie or maybe a concert… what ever you think he'd like. Get a good voice recorder in Albuquerque somewhere, one that you can conceal on yourself. After dinner, or whatever, tell him you'd like to test the safe word…see if it still works… something that won't arouse suspicion… like it's an experiment or something. Just before he says it, click on the recorder and we have it…. I'll be able to listen to it and learn it"…..

A skeptical look came over Tammy, as she commented…..

…. "John.. I don't know if that will work, from what I understand it has to be pronounced perfectly, accent, timing between the words, even the tone of voice has to be perfect. I don't know if you could learn that from a recording. The people that put it into my subconscious designed it that way, so it would be very hard to copy if someone should hear it."….

…. "That's why you need to get the best one you can find, I know you can afford it"… he replied..then further explained…..

…. "I may not be all that good in school, but the one class I get straight 'A's in is computers. It's one of the few things I'm _really_ good at… I don't like to brag, but I can hack into _anything_, ATMs, government data bases, you name it. If I can get a good recording of the words, I can break it down, word by word, syllable by syllable, tone by tone, until I have it down pat… I _know_ I can do this Tammy…all you have to do is get me the recording…. I'll take it from there"…. he concluded with a confident look…

She stared at him intently as if studying him for a moment. Then a bright look of hope came over her face, as she commented…

…. "Yes, I think you could"…. the look of hope was replaced by excitement as she added…

…. "and I have a real good computer system at home. You could come over to my house after school to use it. I can just lay down in my bed, so you can test it, until you get it right."….

A little electrical charge shot through John, as he realized she had just invited him to her bedroom. Granted, it wasn't for _that_ purpose; it was just to insure she wouldn't be injured from falling asleep while standing upright, if the words worked…. but still…He needed to keep his mind on their little scheme… for now anyway.

… "Ya Tammy, I think this will all work out for us"…. he acknowledged….

She thought for a minuet and the excited look was replaced by fear and despair, as she said…

….. "I still don't know about this John… If my brother even _suspects _something funny is going on, it's good by Red Valley and hello Albuquerque…. and then I'll _never_ see you again, not even at school"…..

John scratched his head thoughtfully and pointed out…

…. "Tammy you're a smart girl. I can do my part and I _know _you can do your's. Remember…. '_feminine wiles_"… he pointed out, while playfully poking his finger into her head with a grin….

She smiled coyly at him, as he went on to say….

…. "And yes there _is_ a risk factor involved..there _always_ is. You go kamikaze'n around all the time in your airplane. You're an _awesome_ pilot, but still, shit _can_ happen, even to the _best_… you _know _that…you're taking a _risk_…a part could be defective and fail… the canopy could jamb and you couldn't bail out… your parachute could fail to open, or you could bang your head on something and not be able to open it… It's not probable, but it's _possible_. I _know_ you're smart enough to realize that, but you keep on doing it anyway… why?"…..

Before she could respond, he answered for her….

… "Because it's your _passion_… it's what you love doing.. To you, it's _worth_ the risk"… he stated…

She closed her eyes, laid her head back on his chest with a contented smile, while lightly hugging him and quietly said…..

…. "I'll do it… I'll do it for us… it's worth the risk"…..

He reached over and shut off the ignition and they sat there in the quiet of the night, in a contented, peaceful embrace, listening to the crickets chirp. John knew that there _was_ a risk, as he had stated to her and sometimes the best laid plans _do_ go astray. The possibility existed, albeit extremely slim, that she would never return from Albuquerque, but it would be well worth the very small risk, to be able to maintain their relationship. Still, there was something he wanted to tell her, something he was not willing to take even the _slightest_ of risks of never having had the chance to say.

Tammy had told him that her brother had no problem with her ditching school, once in a while, as long as it didn't become a habit and as long as she maintained a 4.0 grade point average, which she always did..at least. She told John that she would get ahold or her brother first thing in the morning, to make a dinner date with him for Monday evening. Her somewhat under handed motivation bothered her slightly, but as she had not seen him for quite some time and _did_ in fact miss him, she wanted to do this as soon as possible, both to spend some time with her brother and to save her relationship with John.

She explained to him that she would be extra careful and take her time. It might take a couple of days, but he could count on seeing her back at school, by Wednesday at the latest. She would take him home with her after school, to use her computer and get started on the project. If any problems came up, she promised to call him and let him know.

It was approaching eleven forty five and John knew that he would soon have to send her on her way, before his Mother came home. She had stuffed her boots between the seats bridging the gap between them, so she could curl up on her seat and lay across, with her head resting contentedly on John's lap.

John had always had a problem with the "L" word. For some reason he choked on it, As he thought back, he really couldn't remember ever having said it, to any one, his Mother included. He looked down at Tammy laying across the seats, contented as a kitten, resting peacefully on his lap. Running his fingers gently through he long brown hair, he knew time was short. He was going to have to do this. For the first time in his life he would have to "man up" and say it, no mater how hard it was for him.

He gently shook her shoulder and softly called out to her….

….. "Tammy… Tammy.. You need to wake up"…..

She smoothly arose, stretched her arms, shook her hair from her face and settled back against her door, with pleasant serene smile and stated…..

….. "I wasn't really asleep…just resting"….. and added with a beaming expectant smile….

…. "You wanted to tell me something"….

…_. "Well I see the fortune teller's back in town"…._ he chuckled to himself..

…. "Uhh ya.. there is…I mean I do… want to say something to you, that is"…. he dithered on nervously, while she gazed back at him coyly….

Try as he might he just couldn't spit it out. Finally he sighed in frustration, shook his head slightly and said…..

….. "Look, I know that you already know what I want to say…. So what's the point?"

She smiled at him and said sweetly…..

…. "Yes.. I do, but I'm a girl John… I'd like to hear you say it"….

John struggled some more, then said under his breath….

…"Aw _fuck_ this.. the _hell_ with words"…as he reached out to her, pulled her gently but firmly over to him and kissed her softly on the lips. She threw her arms around him with a happy little squeal. She deepened the kiss, as she tightened her arms around his neck. When they finally "broke it off," she hung from his neck staring back at up to him, with a beaming smile and tears of joy in her eyes, saying softly….

…. "I'll accept that for now"…

…. "No, you don't have to"…. he stated, swallowed, then added with conviction…

…. "I love you Tammy"….

She looked back at him for a second, with her beaming smile broadening and another _very_ enthusiastic, happy contented squeal, she tightened her arms around his neck hugging him so hard that he was sure she would snap his neck.

After a few more hugs and kisses, John quite reluctantly announced…

… "Well as much as I hate to say it, you probably need to go… mom should be coming along any time now"….

Tammy sighed wearily and replied…

…. "I know.. but the walls come tumbling down…. one by one"…

She sat back up, slid over to her seat, brushed the hair from her face, as she hit the ignition and the Cobra roared to life, as John stepped out his door and closed it behind him. As she flicked on the lights, he turned to watch her, as she adjusted her goggles and stated reassuringly, over the rumbling 428.…

….. "We're gonna make it Tammy"….

….. "I know…. you and me … two by two"…. she replied, with a happy excited little smile….

…. "So I'll be seeing ya Wednesday?… and we can start"… he thought for a moment about her cute, quirky little sayings and continued on with…

…. "tearing down the first wall?"…..

…. "That's the plan"… she replied pleasantly…

They stared at each other for a second and John leaned down into the car, as she meet him half way, for a final sweet little kiss. She slid it in gear, blew him another kiss and roared off into the night, as John stood and watched, till the taillights disappeared in the far distance.

For the first time ever, he was actually glad, that his mom had gotten a sudden paranoid twig up her rear, back in Nebraska and whisked them away, here to this little hick town in the middle of nowheresville New Mexico.

He knew that the little "incident," with Rodney's crew, would make the morning news and his mom would have another paranoid fit on that alone, without even knowing that he had been involved. It might even be enough to make her want to move on again, but this time it would be different. He would try his best to talk her into staying, but he would _not _leave with her. He was still a minor, but what could she really do?…. go to the cops?

The die was cast, as far as _he_ was concerned now. He loved his Mother, but from now on it would be him and Tammy …first and foremost.

If this J-Day crap ever _did_ come to pass, well… he and Tammy would make one _hell _of a team, he chuckled to himself.

He strained his eyes, to try and catch a last glimpse of her taillights, off in the distance, but they were gone. He stayed and listened till the faint, but powerful, distant sound of her car faded away, into the silent dark night.

* * *

Monday morning came and sure enough, just like Tammy had predicted, the news was all over town. A local gang leader, along with another gang member, had been found brutally murdered at a local teen hang out. Three others had been hospitalized in the police ward, at the Gallup General Hospital, one in critical condition, from a deep stab wound. Their had been no witnesses and the two that were in custody, that were _able_ to talk, were being uncooperative, sticking to a strict, street "code of silence." It was assumed by local police to have been a conflict with a rival gang, most likely over illegal drug trafficking. No "innocent citizens" had been involved or harmed, so other that a routine questioning of the relatives of the deceased, no investigation had been anticipated.

Latter that night when his mom returned home from work, as _he_ predicted, she had gone totally ballistic and was planning their next move. This time however, much to his own surprise, he had been able to talk her out of it, by pointing out that it was just a fluke incident, that normally didn't happen in hick towns like this and the police had no investigation planned at all. They were simply going to "sweep it under the rug."

Tuesday came and went, without incident, other than being reprimanded and threatened with detention several times, while he had been daydreaming about Tammy, during a class discussion, fantasizing about the possibilities for Wednesday evening, after she took him home with her.

The big day finally arrive. Wednesday morning John dashed off to school. He felt like a kid on Christmas morning and was so excited he hadn't even bothered to eat Sarah's burnt pancakes. Tammy hadn't called, so he figured everything had gone according to plan; she had obtained the recording and he would be seeing her at lunch break, at the very latest.

When she never showed up, to meet him during lunch, while greatly disappointed, he was not all that concerned. With all that had transpired Sunday and her having to deceive her brother, which he knew she didn't really like having to do, she was probably a bit "stressed out" and had decided to take another day off to go flying and unwind a bit.

When the final bell rang at school, he went out to the student parking lot and waited. After about twenty minuets or so, a bit of concern started creeping in, as she hadn't showed up nor had she called.

The plan had been for them to go _immediately_ to her house after school and start working on the "safe word." If she _had_ indeed gone flying, she would surely have met him there after school, so they could go back to her place and get started as soon as possible. He _knew_ that she would have been there, if she could, so _something _must have happened. He decided to give her a call.

As he flipped open his cell phone and started dialing her number, he stopped and thought, that if she _had _indeed run into problems, with her brother and it was taking longer than anticipated, his call could come at an inopportune moment, endangering the plan. With a sigh, he snapped the phone shut, stuffed it in a pocket and started walking home.

While she had promised to call if any problems arose, unforeseen circumstances _could _pop up. She could have forgotten to charge her phone and it went dead on her. It could have simply "crapped out," that _does_ happen at times, he reassured himself. While he dreaded to think about it, if the worst case scenario did happen and her brother got wise and was detaining her, it wouldn't really be a permanent thing. She would eventually get ahold of him. She would, sooner or later, get away. After all, she was eighteen years old and her brother couldn't actually hold her against her will, for any length of time. He would wait for her, she was worth it. If it came down to it, he would hitch hike all the way to Albuquerque, to hunt for her, if need be, overbearing Mother or not.

About half way home, as he passed a grove of cottonwood trees, another possibility to explain Tammy's tardiness came to mind. He remembered back to their first date, on how the things about her, that at first had irritated the hell out of him, he now found to be some of her most endearing qualities. Her cute little speech quirks, her playful little games. He could just visualize her popping out from behind a tree, giggling at him, something like… "She fooled you!.. she fooled you!"…. That had to be it, she was just playing one of her silly little games. He would be seeing again sooner or latter and probably sooner that latter, he thought to himself confidently.

As he came into view of his house, he could see that something was definitely very wrong. His Mother was not at work and her old Wagoneer was backed up to the door, with the tailgate open. All around it were boxes and his Mother was standing in the middle of the yard, intently scanning the neighborhood with her hand up to her brow.

…. "Oh shit!"…he exclaimed to himself…. "Mom's gone off on one of her mega paranoid things and she's already packing up!"…. He thought to himself in horror.

It didn't look real promising that he would be able to talk some sense into her, at this late stage, but he would try. If he was not successful in making her see reason, which he seriously doubted he could, he would simply refuse to go this time. There was no way he would abandon Tammy. This time she would literally have to hog tie him to take him along and he didn't put that past her, if it came down to it; she was one tough lady.

Tammy had drew him a map on how to get to her place, if he ever needed to find it and he had it hidden in his room. If worse came to worse, he would go to his room pretending to pack his things, get the map and slip out the window, while his mom was loading the Wagoneer.

Tammy's place was clear up on the north end of Red Lake, but he would walk the entire way, if he needed, across the desert and away from the roads, to evade his Mothers search. He knew that Tammy would have no problem with putting him up there and hiding him out from his Mother. He wouldn't be able to go to school, but he was also sure that Tammy could "Home School" him and he would learn a lot more from her, than the boring old "fuddy duddy" teachers back at school.

…. "John!… John!"…. Sarah screeched, when she saw him approaching and charged toward him.

She grabbed him by the shoulders and stared into his face, with a wild eyed frantic look and cried out…..

…. "Where have you been!…don't you know the rules!…. You're to come straight home after school!…. No exceptions!… I was about to come looking for you!"…..

…. "Mom!…what's the prob…."….

…. "Come on!"… She cut him off frantically, grabbed his arm and started dragging him toward the house while exclaiming….

…. "We need to get out of here!.. now!"…

She hustled him into the house, shoved him toward his room and barked out for him to start packing.

John turned around to face her and while bringing his hands together, several times making a "T" formation…. shouted out…

…. "Mom!.. mom!… time out!.. Ok!… what brought this on?…I haven't heard of any Terminators running around recently"…. he concluded while rolling his eyes slightly…

…. "That killing John!… your school will be crawling with cops asking questions and the Feds are on their way!

He rolled his eyes again and calmly tried to explain, as Sarah continued on her ramrage, throwing dishes, guns and ammunition into boxes and stuffing clothes into trash bags.

… "Mom…we've been over this two days ago, those guys were scumbags.. the cops don't give shit about them, they're forgotten about already…ther's no investigation and ther's no way the FBI would care about them"…..

Sarah paused for a moment, placed her hands on her hips, threw her head back with a deep sigh, then looked back at John and stated in a slightly calmer voice…

…. "Yes, yes John, I _know_ that.. but that's _not_ what I'm talking about"….

…. "Well you said a killing, what else could you be talking about?… murders don't exactly happen every day, in little hick towns like this"….. He state with a slight chuckel…

…. "The one in _Arizona_ John"… she explained dryly with an exasperated sigh… "You have't _heard?"… _she inquired with a look of astonishment, as she threw a copy of the morning paper at him…..

He picked it up and started to go numb as he read…

* * *

**Cult Murder In Eastern Arizona**

Arizona State Police and Navajo Nation Tribal Police discovered the remains of a missing New Mexico woman, in far eastern Apache County near Canyon De Chelly, last night at 7: 23 Mountain Standard Time. The victim, Miss Tammilee Woodward of Mc Kinley County New Mexico, had been reported missing by her brother, Dr. Simon Woodward of Albuquerque, after Miss Woodward's roadster style sports car had been found abandoned, by Mc Kinley County Deputy Sheriff, Robert "Black Feather" Archuleta, on a back road near Red Lake, at 12: 42 Monday morning.

Woodward appears to have been the victim of a "ritual style" killing, according to a spokesmen for the Apache County Coroner's Office. Woodward had been staked out nude on a rock, covered with cuts, drained of her blood and dissected; her brain, heart and ovaries being removed. She did not appear to have been sexually molested.

Arizona, New Mexico and Navajo Nation law enforcement authorities, have yet to comment if the Woodward slaying could be in connection to the recent outbreak of cattle mutilations, in the Window Rock- Ft Defiance area.

According to Deputy Sheriff Archuleta, he had spotted Woodward's abandon vehicle while on a routine patrol, that it was "a good ways off the road," with the lights still on. At first, suspecting an accident and moving in to offer assistance, Archuleta discovered the rear of the vehicle to have multiple bullet holes and a blown out rear tire. There had been no sign of a struggle, but what appeared to be woman's clothing, lay scattered on the ground beside the car. Investigators from the Mc Kinley County Sheriff's Office have stated that it looked to have been a "planed abduction."

As it appears as if Woodward had been abducted in Mc Kinley County and transported across the state line and killed in Apache County Arizona, federal authorities have been alerted. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Special agent James Ellison, is expected to be leading the investigation.

Law enforcement authorities have yet to announce of any suspects in the Woodward case, but Miss Woodward had been last reported, seen leaving Gallup Municipal Airport in the company of a young male, approximately 15-17 years of age, Sunday afternoon. If anyone has information as to the identity of this person, they are urged to contact either the Mc Kinley County Sheriff's Office, the Apache County Sheriff's Office, the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigation or the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Woodward had been a honor student and was well on her way, to being the Valedictorian, for the graduating class of 2000 at Crestview High School in Red Valley New Mexico. She had also been an accomplished pilot with a commercial rating and held several gold medals in aerobatic competition.

According to Gallup Municipal Airport manager David Gallegos, Woodward had a promising career ahead of her in the field of aviation and aero space and had to simply "choose from" the numerous scholarships, that had been offered her, from some of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning, in the country.

Gallegos was quoted as saying…..

….."Tammy was a strange one, stuck to her self and rarely socialized, though she had more that a few offers. She loved to fly, it was her passion and her piloting skills were unmatched. Her dream was to go to the stars one day and she sometimes talked as if she had already been there. If anyone could do it, she could. Anyone who actually got to know her, loved her. She had a brattiness, at times, that could ruffle the feathers of a saint, yet steal your heart in the same stroke. Everyone here, from instructors to ramp rats will always remember her…. Fly on for eternity Tammy… Soar forever through the clouds little Albatross"…..

There will be a candlelight vigil for Tammilee, tomorrow evening at 8:00, at the Mc Kinley Courthouse in Gallup and Gallegos has announced that there will be an air show in her memory, this coming June.

Woodward was survived by a brother, Dr. Simon Woodward of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

* * *

….. "John!…John!"…. Sarah screamed, while briskly shaking John's shoulders, who was just standing there, with a blank lifeless expression, as if turned to stone by the stare of a Medusa.

…. "That poor girl that was murdered went to _your_ school John! Two New Mexico Agencies along with the _FBI!.. _will be crawling all over this town asking questions, so start packing!… were out of here in thirty minuets soldier!… packed or not!"…She screeched, while turning him towards his room and giving him a solid shove.…

After twenty minutes had elapsed, Sarah marched back to John's room barking out….

…. "Grab your gear John, we're movin' out in ten!"….

As she entered his room, she was shocked to see him just sitting on his bed, staring blankly into space. He had packed one small suitcase, one duffel bag and had his sleeping bag rolled up beside him. On his dresser were photos of him and Charley Dixon, one of which was of him and a proud Charley receiving a trophy, John had won at a motocross event, with said trophy still sitting on the dresser top, next to it. These were things and photos of times John had cherished.

The most frightening thing about his new attitude however, was the fact that there was absolutely no argument or complaint, to this sudden move. This was not like him. As aggravating and rebellious as he could be at times, she had come to expect it and deal with it. It was probably what made him who he was, why he was destined to be the leader of mankind, in it's darkest hour.

What ever it was that had gotten in to him, she knew he would eventually "snap out of it" and be sorry for what he left behind. She grabbed his half full duffel and unceremoniously swept the photos and trophies off the dresser and into it. His odd behavior frightened her, but for the time being, she was not going to look a "gift horse in the mouth." Time was of the essence, as the whole place would be crawling with cops and reporters of all descriptions in very short order, due to the mysterious, bizarre nature of this latest murder case.

Sarah had know _of _Tammy Woodward, thru other working mothers at the cafe and was aware of the rumors surrounding her. Along with the gossip of her being a witch and satanic cult member, there were _even _stories of her being an extraterrestrial in disguise. A vanguard for a coming invasion. While she realized, that it was all third hand information at best, silly stories originating from High School students, it _could_ draw media attention, when combined with the grizzly nature of the poor kid's death.

To make matters worse, Sarah worked with the girlfriend of Deputy Robert Archuleta, who had first discovered the girl's abandoned car. According to his girlfriend Ramona, he had told her a version that was totally different, than from what had appeared in the paper or on the news. .

* * *

It had started as a high speed chase, at speeds in excess of 140 MPH and accelerating. Robert had run an NCIC on the plate number of Tammy's car and had radioed in for assistance, as she was rapidly pulling away from him. Just as he was about to give up the chase, he noticed two bright lights coming up from behind and closing fast. They quickly overhauled him and shot past, apparently in pursuit of the suspect vehicle as well. He claimed that they were of a type of which he had never seen, some sort of hovercraft.

At that point, Archuleta figured this was something much bigger than just a late night drunk driver or stolen car, as he had first assumed. He again radioed in for assistance and described what the saw to his dispatcher. He then saw a brilliant flash of bluish white light that pulsated for several seconds, in the direction of which the three vehicles had been heading, then disappeared. As he cautiously approached the site from which the light had emanated, he noticed what appeared to be a brush fire. When he arrived at the scene, he found a thirty foot wide, round charred depression in the earth, like a crater of some sort, with burning brush surrounding it. He found the twisted, smashed wreckage of the car he had originally been pursuing, about fifty yards away, obviously having left the roadway at an extremely high rate of speed, the driver most likely thrown out into the desert somewhere.

After a brief search, he found her. She was quite dead, of course, but aside from that, with the exception of a few very strange and grotesque anomalies, the body was completely intact and undamaged. Not what you'd expect from a person thrown from a car, rolling and flipping, at over 150 MPH.

She had been laid out on what appeared to be a clean surgical sheet and was totally nude. She had not been sexually assaulted or manhandled in any way, no cuts, scrapes or bruises of any sort. Just above her pubic area, however, there was a neat clean incision and it seemed as if internal organs had been removed through it. There was another just below the breast bone and it looked as if she had bled profusely from every opening in her body, eyes, nose, ears, etc. The most grisly part of the whole affair, however, was that the entire upper portion of her head, just above the eyebrows, had been neatly sawed off with the top of her skull, hair and all, laying beside her. The contents of her cranium had been completely removed, the interior of her skull scraped clean.

After assistance had finally arrived, it was not as deputy Archuleta had anticipated, one regular patrol car showed up with a host of unmarked cars and a dozen or so military type vehicles. His superior had emerged from the patrol car and without asking any questions, simply ordered him back to HQ in Gallup. He had been escorted there by two of the unmarked cars and upon arrival, questioned until nearly noon by four men in plain clothes, producing no identification or credentials of any sort, but whom his superior had ordered him to give his total cooperation.

He was placed under a strict "gag order" and literally given a "script" concerning what he was to tell reporters, newsmen, his fellow police officers or anybody else, as to the events of that night, for reasons of national security, he was told.

* * *

Sarah still didn't know if Ramona had been "on the level" or not with her story. It was a small town and people had little else to do other than make up interesting things to talk about, but she wasn't taking any chances. _Something_ was going on here and gag order or not, stories _were_ leaking out. It had the making of becoming another "Roswell," with all the media attention that would go along with it, not the place for one of the FBI's ten most wanted to be hanging out, presumed dead or not.

John was as a total zombie, as they made their way south toward the international border. While Sarah didn't like taking the risk of John hacking ATM machines, she had little choice, as she was afraid to even stick around long enough to pick up her final pay check. He did exactly as she bode him, simply going thru the motions, without saying a word

They finally settled in a small, little known fishing village, at the southern end of the Baja Peninsula. It wasn't until months latter that John finally "broke down." He had told his Mother the entire story, about his short lived romance with Tammy. Everything they did, everything about her and how deeply they felt for each other. She should have been furious for him going behind her back, for taking the kind of risks he had, but it was in the past now and Tammy was gone. She just listened to his story with a tear falling from sympathetic eyes and comforted him, as best she could. The story sounded all to familiar. She knew that Tammy could never be replaced in his life, that he would never forget her and wouldn't want to, even if he could. She had become his one and only "soul mate" and in his mind, his guardian angel, now that she was gone.

Sarah never told John of the "other stories" she had heard, concerning the circumstances surrounding Tammy's death. It was a secret she kept till her dyeing day, nor did she ever tell him the _real_ reason for leaving Charley Dixon. Granted she had been having paranoid nightmares again, but every time she got close to him, every time she woke up and looked at him laying beside her, she only saw one man, Kyle Reese. It wasn't fair to Charley, or could she live with it herself, any longer. Just like John and Tammy; she had known Kyle but for a day or two, but had loved a life time's worth. Nobody else would _ever_ be able to stand in that place.

In time, John and Sarah scraped up enough cash to start a small fishing marina, on the Gulf of California, at the far end of the Baja Peninsula. It was remote enough and far enough away from the main tourist destinations, that they never did that great of a business, but they got by. It was a peaceful serene existence and there was never another man in Sarah's life, to speak of, nor a woman in John's.

Sarah eventually contracted lymphoma and John tended to her till the end. According to her wishes, she was cremated and her ashes scattered over the gulf. With his Mother gone, he again got the urge to wander. Selling their operation, for what little her could get for it, he returned to the states and settled in the L. A. area. While he was known to buy a whore at times, or pick up on some barroom floozy, when he looked into their eyes, all he could ever see was the girl he never spoke of, with her big brown eyes staring back, from under those goofy looking goggles of hers.

The deep internal rage he felt, for Tammy's depraved, perverted killers, that were never found, never left him. He couldn't fathom how _anyone_ could be so twisted, as to take the life of one so sweet, innocent and full of life as she had been, in such a _hideous_ fashion. A life that held so much promise. People like that couldn't even be counted as human. He thought back to his Mother's description of her would be cyborg assassin, of Uncle Bob and his description of Sky Net's merciless killing machines, of which he once was and how even _they_ seemed to posses more conscience and principal, than Tammy's killers._ At least, _they didn't senselessly go around preying on their own kind, for selfish twisted beliefs or desires. It made him wonder at times if the human race, in large, was even _worth _saving. If J-Day _was_ indeed at hand then perhaps it was for the best; weed out people like that, at the _very least_. People like Tammy's killers, or even people like Jasper. When he thought of that self absorbed little punk, he had _no trouble _visualizing him committing such an act.

As John and his party emerged from the tunnel system, back into the main shelter area, he heard a commotion. He glanced in the direction of the sounds, to notice someone pistol whipping Derek; then he noticed who it was…..

….. _"JASPER!"…_

* * *

Rage boiled up in John, like a volcano, as visions flashed through his mind…..

…Tammy, raced excitedly through the night, as the cool dry desert air, blew through her soft brown hair, trailing out behind her. full of happiness, joy and revitalized hope

…He tore through the crowed, with a snarl on his lips…..

….. shots rang out, shredding the rear of her car, blowing a tire, sending her out of control, bouncing across the brush…

…He ripped his weapon from his shoulder, drew it back and smashed the stock resoundingly into the back of Jasper's skull…..

….. Tammy's sleek shinny blue roadster, ploughed into a pile of rocks, sending her face smashing to the dash, knocking her out, the lenses of her goggles cutting into her eyes…..

…. Jasper flew forward onto the floor, blinded and stunned, as his nose exploded across his face….

….Tammy, half blind, bound tightly and gagged, was thrown to the ground from the van, in a naked. dazed heap, the cruel jagged stones, tearing into her flesh…..

…. Jasper's hand groped around to find his pistol, as he rolled back over in a daze. He tried to stand with his head spinning and stumbled backwards, as the cold metal barrel of John's weapon, smashed through his teeth to his tonsils, slamming him back down on his back…..

….. Her gag was ripped from her mouth. Four, dark robed, hooded figures, bearing glistening silvery blades, drew them repeatedly up her smooth creamy legs, as Tammy shrieked in agony terror and pain, while her life, strength and soul, slowly flowed from her being….

…. Gagging and choking, his eyes wide in terror, Jasper stared up the barrel, jammed into his palate, to John's red fiery eyes, as he snarled down to him…

….. "_Please!.. _don't drop that gun!… _please!.. _point that fuckin' thing at me!"…. Then…. "Beg!…. Beg!.you fuckin' piece of _shit!"…_

He tried and cried, but just gagged and choked, with tears flowing from his eyes, as John shoved the rifle deeper down his throat with each word, Jasper closed his eyes as John squeezed the trigger….

….Her back broken, her lower body near numb, she lay tightly stretched, over the cold jagged granite. The eerie orange glow, of the fiery flickering torches, reflected in the pink blood streaked tears, flowing from her lacerated eyes, as the group of dark figures danced around her, chanting and singing.

. A scarlet robed form stood over her, in her blurred fading vision. With two long gleaming daggers, thrust up to the sky, he called out….

…. "Come, Bifrons! come Abaddon!… come Bhairava! and Kali!"….

She felt a dull pressure, as the blade drew across her dead lower section. Tammy's eyes squeeze shut tightly, as she thrust her head back and threw open her mouth.

As a large hairy hand thrust deep inside; with the last of her fast waning strength, she screamed out in lonely, hopeless despair. Blood tainted tears, flowed down her cheeks as the hand was withdrawn, her eggs held high to the heavens, tight in his grasp, …with the chant of…

… "Hail Shiva!…. Hail Kali!"…..

Echoing through the dark night….

All that was left, was a weak hissing gasp, as the blade smoothly slid south, down her still feeling chest, parting the flesh, with searing hot fire ripping through her nerves. Her consciousness dulled, as the rough calloused hand slipped under her sternum. Choking hot flames, tore from her chest and out through her arms; her world faded out and his little Albatross soared to the stars, as her heart was held high, to the frenzied chanting ghouls.

* * *

…."John!"… The police inspector frantically cried out, grabbing John's shoulder and jerking him back, as the M-16 cracked, with the round parting Jaspers hair, ricocheting off the floor.

… "Good God man!…. Get ahold of yourself!"…. he exclaimed while jumping around in front of him and grasping his shoulders, while the two SEAL's jerked Jasper to his feet, slamming him against the wall.

John brushed the inspector's hand from his shoulder, giving him an indifferent stare, glanced over to Jasper with a particularly cold look, then back to the inspector and stated evenly…

…. "He's out of here"….. as he knelt down to check on Derek, who was still dazed by Jasper's assault….

….. "John, I don't like that punk anymore than you do, nobody does, but we _can't_ just start _executing _people"…. Davis pointed out imploringly….

…. "Well then I guess he needs to be out of here _soon_"…. John remarked, while helping Derek to his feet….then added coolly… "See to it"….

With a slight sigh, he responded…..

…. "Yes sir"…..

John listened to Derek's report, as the inspector went over to Jasper, who was still being restrained by the SEAL's, shaking his head slightly and stated with a slight chuckle…

…. "I don't think that man likes you"… and continued on calmly, with a sigh, as the SEALS,s looked on smirking…..

…. "The way I see it, you have two choices"… He stated, while motioning with his head toward the dark tunnel entrance then to the blast doors, with a very pointed look…

…. "That would be murder!"…. Jasper shot back at him….

…. "It _will_ be murder if you don't make up your mind real quick"…. Davis pointed out, then added, with his hand held out to receive his pistol…

…. "Oh, and I think you have something that needs to stay _here"…._as one of the SEAL's nudged him forward, with the butt of his new M-16.

John listened to Derek, as he explained the situation concerning the dying woman outside. He shook his head sadly. As much as he regretted it, he had to agree with the other's. It was too big of a risk, especially after learning of the China Lake situation. This was in fact the J-Day scenario. They would need all the resources they could get and conservation would be the word of the day. They didn't have the luxury of taking that kind of a risk, or expending precious resources on a dead woman. Then he noticed something in his eyes and inquired….

… "You knew her, didn't you?"…

Derek affirmed his suspicion and told him how Freyja, he claimed her name was, had tutored him, free of charge one time, when he was in danger of failing a class that would kill his chanced at an athletic scholarship and felt that he owed her. There was something else however. He could see it in his eyes. She had meant a lot to him. There was more to this than he was admitting.

John thought back to the one that had been so special to_ him_, so many years ago, how she had most likely died screaming in pain and terror, _alone_, with her pleas for mercy falling on none but the ears of her cold uncaring tormenters. He thought for a moment with a wistful look, as Derek explained how nobody would have to be at risk but him, he would take care of her, she could have _his_ rations for the few days, at best, that she had left.

He sighed and shook his head, saying…

…. "I'm sorry Derek… I can't let you do that"….

As Derek started to beg, with an imploring look, John clarified….…

… "I'll get suited up..I'll take care of her"…..and added….

… "You need to look after your kid brother"…. he glanced around and inquired…

… "By the way, where is he?"…

Derek looked around with a bewildered concerned look, as John firmly ordered….

…. "Go find him!…now! …he's your first responsibility"….. and as he placed a hand on Derek's shoulder, added reassuringly …

…. "Don't worry, I'll take care of her, for now…She's coming in, were not going to let her go out like that… I promise"…..

Derek nodded and went in search of Kyle, while John hurried to the supply area, to don a CBRN suit, grab a medical kit, with a dose of morphine and supplies to give Freyja a good "scrub down," before bringing her in.

A worried look came over Derek's face, when he learned that someone thought they saw Kyle running into the tunnel entrance. He grabbed a couple of volunteers, some flashlights and began his search.

* * *

Allison stood alone in the dark, screaming and stomping her feet in a hysterical fit, when Kyle caught up to her. He grabbed her and hugged her. For a few moments he just rocked her in his arms, as she whimpered. After he had managed to calm her down a bit, he asked her

….. " What's wrong Guenn, why did you runaway?… we shouldn't be in here all alone"…. he added, while looking around apprehensively and noticing they were in almost total darkness…

…. "He lied!…. Everybody's dead!"… she spat out and added…

… "Derek opened the door… I saw it… it wasn't an earthquake, everything blew up!…just like that creepy guy said… There's no hospitals!..no buildings..no nothing!.. .. My Dad's dead!… John left him there and now he's dead!"….

Kyle was old enough to have a basic understanding of nuclear war. He had been over hearing people using terms like fallout, radiation, first strike, missiles, etc. and while he had never asked Derek or John, he had been starting to wonder himself, if they had been all that truthful to them. Still, Derek _was_ his big brother and had always been good to him. He was also starting to find that he really _admired _John ,for some reason, they way he seemed to make things run so smooth and kept people from fighting all the time; plus, he _had_ picked then up on the freeway, when Derek's car had broken down, saving them from whatever really _did_ happen, be it an earthquake _or _a war. He knew that if they had lied to them that there must have been a good reason for it. He admitted to Allison...

…. "Ya, I know Guenn… I've been thinking about that too, but Derek's my brother and he must have a reason. John saved our lives, so he means us no harm… You said it you're self, that he does a good job, keeping people from acting so crazy"…..

Allison could think no wrong of Kyle whatsoever, he was her friend, her only friend now, probably. Derek was his brother, so she supposed the he couldn't be all that bad either and he had ,after all, saved her from getting run over by a car. John, however, was different. Perhaps the only reason Derek was lying to them was because John had lied to _him_; and he believed it. Everyone else seemed to believe him and blindly follow him, except Jasper that is, maybe she and Jasper were the _only _people smart enough to see John for what she had made up her mind that he was; a liar that liked to be the boss. The kind of people that her Dad had _hated_. She had always been told how smart she was, _especially_ by her Dad, so it made sense. She blurted out to Kyle…

… "But he _promised _me, Kyke!… he promised me he'd call doctor!… he said that he _did_…He _promised _me my Dad would be Ok!… he said he was in a hospital!…that he'd be fine, but he _didn't_… he left him there!… he lied to me Kyle!… and now he's _dead!"…. _she exclaimed, while throwing herself into Kyle's arms in tears….

Kyle just comforted her for awhile, as he didn't really know what to say about it all, but his trust in John remained just the same. Finally he spoke up saying..

…. "Well you like me, don't ya Guenn?"…..

…. "Oh yes!"…. She exclaimed exuberantly…. "You're my friend….my _best_ friend!"… she enthusiastically declared, as she pulled out of his arms, to look him in the eyes…..

…. "Will you come back to the shelter with me then?…. He inquired….

…. "Ok"…. she agreed, but less enthusiastically…

…. "Will you still be my friend, if I like John?"…. he further inquired…..

…. "Well… I _guess_ so"….. she warily agreed…

…. "But he _can't_ tell me what to do anymore"…. she huffed…

…. "Well if he tells _me, _to tell _you_, to do something, would you do it?"….

…. "Well…. I don't know."…. She dithered…

Kyle was her best friend and she knew she would do anything he asked of her, even if was an order from John, so she cautiously conceded…

…. "Ok"…but added firmly….

…. "But _only _if _you_ tell me…. I won't talk to him"…..

As they started groping their way through the dark, a bright flash light beam caught them.

Derek gave a sigh of relief as he shined his light on them, seeing that they were alright then exclaimed….

….. "You scared the heck out of me!… what are you two doing back here anyway? You know you're not suppose to be here alone. It's dangerous, you could get lost, there could be some bad people in here still."….

…. "I know Derek"…Kyle agreed… "but Guenn got scared and ran away, I was trying to find her."….. he explained…..

…. "Well Ok, you did the right thing, little brother"….. Derek commended him… "but next time let me know first, so I can go with you. It's too dangerous back her, don't ever come back here alone again…Ok?… and that goes for you too Guenn."… he sternly warned them…

…. "Ok"… they both answered in unison…

…. "I should have known I'd find you two together"…. Derek chuckled ,as they started back to the shelter…..

Just as they got underway, however, Kyle popped up with….

…. "Derek… we're in a war aren't we, it wasn't an earthquake…was it?"…..

Derek stopped in his tracks. He knew he'd have to "fess up" sooner or later and it looked like the time had come. He figured it would be soon, after all, how long could it be kept a secret with everybody else talking about it, the kids weren't stupid. With a sigh he knelt down in front of the two and solemnly said…

…. "Ya"… while nodding his head slightly and after a second or two of silence added….

…. "I'm sorry we lied to you, I didn't know how to tell you, how you'd act, we all have to be brave and try not to worry… Ok?…

…. "What about mom and dad, are they Ok?"…. Kyle queried nervously…

Derek pursed his lips and stared at the ground for a moment, then answered frankly….

…. "I..I don't know Kyle…. We just have to hope"…..

He could see the fear and worry in his little brother's eyes, but all in all, he was taking it like a man. Allison didn't seem to be going hysterical, like she was when they had first found her, but she wasn't taking it near as well. He looked at her and could see the tears welling up in her eyes, as she asked, more in the form of a statement, with a trembling voice…

…. "My Dad, he's dead, isn't he?'…

Derek knew for fact that he was, as John had found him murdered, apparently by a looter, on the bicycle shop floor. Looking at her staring back to him with her watery, yet hopefully eyes, he simply couldn't break it to her. The bicycle shop, along with her dad's body, had probably be vaporized anyway, so nobody would ever really have to know the whole truth. He would eventually be counted among the millions of others, that had died that day and hopefully by that time, she would have gotten more use to the idea. She would be more prepared and it wouldn't come as such a shock. He again lied to her, but in such a way as to not raise too many cruel, false hopes, by saying…..

…. "We don't know that for sure Guenn. He might be Ok. All we can do is hope, just like were doing for our Mom and Dad"…..

He wiped a few tears from her face and went on encouragingly…

…. "So don't cry..Ok?..we all need to be brave. We need to be like a family… Ok?" …. he concluded reassuringly…

Allison just nodded her head slightly, while rubbing her eyes with the back of her fists and they continued on back to the shelter.

When they arrived back at the shelter area, Derek went immediately to Freyja's side, in a far corner which they had rigged up for her as a hospice. John was quickly taking command of the situation in general. Upon hearing of the China Lake and Edwards AFB incident, he knew what was forthcoming. He doubted very seriously that many would be able to accept the idea that a computer system was plotting to exterminate the human race, but he explained to them that as the military "had their hands full," at the present time, that they would be pretty much on their own for a while, that they were at war and the radiation levels were of such, that they may have to stay underground for some time yet.

He recommended that every one who was able, should begin training in weapons handling, as they now had control of an armory, hand to hand combat and form a civilian militia, be they male or female.

As far as the "Freyja situation" went, there were still many that didn't agree with his decision to allow her admittance, but as they noticed that she was in such bad shape that she couldn't even take in solid food and barely water, they figured that, with the exception of morphine, she wouldn't she wouldn't be using up much of their supplies and wouldn't be around for that much longer anyway.

While many had been appalled ,by his near summary execution of Jasper, they were buy in large somewhat relieved that John had finally given him his "walking papers." He was still roaming at large in the tunnels, but as he was now unarmed and they would soon be an armed militia, he should present little problem, if he should be unfortunate enough to reappear, or to try something "funny" with a supply hunting party. It also showed, if nothing else, that John was strictly no nonsense, got things done and while he seemed to have a sense of fairness and justice about him, he was not going to take a whole lot of lip, from those who may want to stir up trouble. Just the type of leader they might need, in the dark hard times, that most were now certain waited ahead.

Allison had a slightly different view of the situation, however. When it had come to her attention that John had nearly killed and then exiled Jasper from the group, she had mixed feelings. Jasper had always given her a creepy feeling, deep down inside, especially since the time he had touched her, the way he did, when she had felt sorry for him and tried to talk to him. Still, he had seemed to be about the only other person, other than herself, to be smart enough to see through John's lies and the only person, bar none, to actually have the guts to challenge the authority, that John seemed to be trying to hold over everyone.

She was starting to see John to be like many of her Father's former bosses, that had fired him for refusing to give in to their wishes and work on projects that were not worthy of his talents. As far as Allison was concerned, her dad was the best architect in the world and deserved far better than his employers would offer him. Maybe Jasper hadn't been so bad after all. Perhaps John had simply "fired him," because he didn't want to go along with his silly ideas. Like her dad and his bosses.

Derek, while being John's "right hand man," she actually thought he was kinda nice. She admired the way he took care of that poor old dying woman, that looked like a mummy she had seen, when her Dad had taken her to the museum one time. He had saved her life and of course he was Kyle's brother. No better recommendation then that. Kyle of course could do no wrong and they had become inseparable. It wasn't their fault that John had tricked them. She was just a little girl now, nobody would listen to her, but she'd grow up some day. Then she would show them. John was not to be trusted.

* * *

**Ending A/N:…**

Ok, so it should be more than obvious to all, who have seen Firefly and or Serenity, who Tammy is, or rather was. Please note, that at the beginning notes I said "New Character" not "Original Character." I worded it that way so it would come as a surprise.

That said, she will not be returning in this story, except perhaps briefly in John's (Future John's) thoughts. While just due to the virtue of the fact that she was here, technically makes this story a "crossover," I don't consider it as such, in the strictest sense. She will possibly be appearing in the next story after this (1st sequel), but I'm not sure as to what extent. If she does, it will again be only in the mind of Future John and possibly from Cameron's POV, when she first gets sent back in time. It will not be in such a way as to conflict with the events of the either season of TSCC. Come the 2nd sequel (set after the BTR episode) Tammy or, let's go ahead and say it, River Tam ,will be back along with an explanation of how her and her brother ended up in 1999 New Mexico. Again, I haven't decided yet, as to what extent.


End file.
